The Flopcast (general)

It's Halloween in Chickentown once again, and we're celebrating with a "monster cereals" taste test! That's right, we're sampling Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry, as well as (available for the first time in decades!) Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy. Is this stuff delicious, or disgusting, or (ideally) both? Let's find out together. Along the way we'll enjoy some classic monster cereal commercials, and (with a little help from Siri) make a startling discovery about Boo Berry. Hey, if you've always secretly dreamed of just listening to people eat cereal... well, this is the show for you. (Also, you have a problem.)

Direct download: Flopcast_077.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:52am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake wrap up their School House Rock 40th anniversary celebration with some help from you, the Flopcast listeners! Our Top 4 1/2 List of America Rock cartoons is based on YOUR votes! How appropriately democratic. And you can probably guess which beloved School House Rock character is sitting on both Capitol Hill AND the top of our list. Also: Kornflake sees Weird Al, just in time for National Bologna Day; The Nerdist's Chris Hardwick asks the eternal question, "Who's Kornflake?"; and you get to decide whose singing is rougher: Cloris Leachman (with her infamous 80s School House Rock intro song) or Kevin (with The Sponge Awareness Foundation's infamous School House Rock medley). It's a close call.

Direct download: Flopcast_076.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:02am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake are in Manchester, New Hampshire for the Granite State Comicon! Come along as we encounter Perhapanauts artist Craig Rousseau, Tiny Titans artist Art Baltazar, the Boston Ninja Turtle, Amy the Mermaid, classic arcade games from Funspot, Ghost Kitties and Action Cats, Snorks, a Snowpocalypse, and yes, our very favorite Mr. T cosplayer. And hang on, because this one gets weird, in a mid-convention dental emergency kind of way. That's right, Kornflake found a way to make her first comic book show extra-special. Pass the Novocaine and enjoy.

Direct download: Flopcast_075.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:10pm EDT

More School House Rock 40th anniversary fun this week, as Kevin knocks out a Top 4 1/2 List of Science Rock cartoons! (Get ready for a shock, but we're huge fans of Interplanet Janet around here.) As a bonus, this leads to yet another bizarre tale from junior high school in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. (We'll never run out of these stories. It was a weird, weird place.) Also: Kornflake and Scott Baio prepare to scream.

Direct download: Flopcast_074.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:57am EDT

Kornflake learns that no revenge is sweeter than a birthday cake in the face; Vodka Day is this week, which means we'd better keep an eye on our friend Vodka (we, uh, know a girl named Vodka); George Takei boldly chicken-dances where no chicken has danced before; and we end with a round of "What's in the Bag," compliments of Luke and Sara, who mailed us a mysterious (and yes, chicken-themed) package. (This episode turned out to be even more chicken-themed than we'd intended. Hope you're okay with that.)

Direct download: Flopcast_073.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Our celebration of the 40th anniversary of School House Rock continues, as the Mayor of Chickentown presents a Top 4 1/2 List of Multiplication Rock! Featuring weird zoo animals, twelve-toed aliens, a hero named Zero, and even more 1970s educational silliness. This is why we're all total math geniuses today. Also: The boozy truth about Johnny Appleseed; video evidence of Kornflake's latest zorbing adventure; a "What's in the Bag" segment with shocking implications for our "Pudding Pages" segment; and an actual round of speed dating, right in the middle of the show! (Super-creepy speed dating, that is. Just the way you like it.)

Direct download: Flopcast_072.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:25am EDT

Kevin is back from Atlanta with a full report on DragonCon, featuring 50,000 nerds and/or geeks, the Bionic Man and Woman, High Feather cosplayers, booze-serving robots, Canadian teen pop star Robin Sparkles, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Shatner, a steampunk owl catcher, Hulk cologne, and yes, Charles Nelson Reilly. Kind of a strange weekend, in retrospect. We also get in some music talk, and recommend George Hrab, Sufjan Stevens, and 80s-style arena rock. (Admit it, you love REO Speedwagon.) And Kornflake reminds us to remind her about Talk Like a Pirate Day. But we won't.

Direct download: Flopcast_071.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:55am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake kick off the fall season by returning not to school, but to School House Rock! We're celebrating the 40th anniversary of these classic cartoons, starting with a Top 4 1/2 List of Grammar Rock. Of course that means a train ride through Conjunction Junction, a very crowded bus ride with Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla... and we might even unpack an adjective or two. Join us! Also: Defy Superstition Day is this week, so throw a black cat under a ladder or something. 

Direct download: Flopcast_070.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:06pm EDT

Worry not, true believers -- before Kevin sneaked off to DragonCon, we recorded this quick little episode of miscellaneous silliness, just for you. This week: Shocking the world, Kevin returns to Woonsocket, Rhode Island for an actual high school reunion; Kornflake is covered in mosquito bites, talking like the kids of Degrassi, and dreaming of zorbing again; we discuss the mysterious connection between skyscrapers and giant turkeys; our Pudding Pages segment takes us deep into the disco era; and we end with some Chickens in the News, all the way from Indonesia, where the chickens are, yes, mystical. And they might even make you a sandwich.

Direct download: Flopcast_069.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's our second annual DragonCon preview show, as we prepare for the upcoming mega-gathering of the geeks in downtown Atlanta. Enjoy some hints and tips about how to survive the craziest four days on the nerd calendar. We also discuss some of the guests (Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner!), concerts (Paul and Storm!), and events (Rebecca Watson's Quiz-O-Tron 2000!) we're looking forward to, and run through Kevin's panel schedule. (If you miss the "Sid and Marty Krofft: Wildboys and Dynagirls" panel, we'll banish you to Lidsville.) Also: Kornflake checks out the Ryan Montbleau Band (and insists they don't just cover Nu Shooz songs), and teaches us all about National Trail Mix Day. Really.

Direct download: Flopcast_068.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:37pm EDT

Kornflake reports on this year's Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, a weekend of music, mud, Moxy Fruvous, and tie-dyed unmentionables. Meanwhile Kevin attends Boston Comic Con, serves as a lifeline in a zombie-themed round of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and brings back an exclusive Flopcast interview with Amy the Steampunk Mermaid! (And stick around at the end of the show to hear the guy we totally failed to locate at Boston Comic Con: Nashville's Superman, Allen Shervelle.) Also: Spumoni.

Direct download: Flopcast_067.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Episode 66 means we're talking about V66, Boston's own MTV-style music video channel back in the mid-80s. (V66 wasn't around for long, but some of us never got over it.) Also: Kornflake joins the Snuggie Cult; we celebrate Thrift Shop Day and Siblingfest; and in our Chickens in the News segment, we look at some mysterious new statues in Annapolis, Maryland. Remember, kids -- it's August. You NEED a Snuggie.

Direct download: Flopcast_066.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:34am EDT

Because we're just so dangerously obsessed with the 1980s, this week's Top 4 1/2 List features cover versions of 80s songs! (Needless to say, Cyndi Lauper is well represented.) Also: Gummy lobsters (a delicious choking hazard), Kornflake's Barenaked Ladies & Ben Folds Five concert report (we're starting a rumor that she parked her car onstage during the show), and National X-Files Day (which we just invented, and which we should've called National Yip-Yip Day).

Direct download: Flopcast_065.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:21am EDT

Pathetically, Kevin and Kornflake enter a state of panic when a power outage leaves Chickentown Studios in total darkness, right in the middle of the show! No lights, no air conditioning (we were already panicking about the heat wave), and, most horrifyingly... no more iced coffee. We're doomed! Also: Kornflake visits a mysterious lobster-themed town called Otis, the Chicken Limo cruises the mean streets of Indianapolis, and the Pudding Pages go to the dogs. Reminder: No power in Chickentown. To hear next week's show, be sure to pick up some cups and a very long string. 

Direct download: Flopcast_064.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:10pm EDT

In the summertime, when the weather is high, we've got robots, we've got robots on our minds. Yes, it's our second annual robot-themed Top 4 1/2 List! This time we're counting down our favorite live action robots from movies and TV. MST3K robot puppets, Star Wars droids, Star Trek androids, scary Fembots, perhaps even a Pimpbot... and we haven't even mentioned the really weird ones. Show a little enthusiasm for our list, and maybe the robots will take pity on you after they take over. Also: Kornflake and Doornail celebrate the 4th of July in the remote wilds of New Hampshire, and make a boozy new friend.

Direct download: Flopcast_063.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:49pm EDT

We're back with a full report from CONvergence, the Bloomington, Minnesota convention that's even crazier than MarsCon! Pour youself a Buzzed Aldrin (the signature drink of the Skepchick party room) and enjoy, as Kevin, the Mayor of Chickentown, the great Luke Ski, and Sara Trice review all the silliness of CONvergence, just for you. (Unfortunately, aside from our Saturday Morning Cartoon and Doctor Who-themed panels, an epic Luke Ski concert, a live comet-making demonstration, a mechanical steampunk bird, the Rifftrax guys playing "PowerPoint Karaoke," a Darkwing Duck burlesque dance, an Aquabat/Penguin hybrid, and a Skepchick giving birth to a squid monster, there's not much of interest to report.) Also: Back in Chickentown, we receive a box of dangerous science from the College of Curiosity, and Kornflake totally puts the "whatever" into this week's National Whatever Day.

Direct download: Flopcast_062.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:55am EDT

We've said this before, but yikes, this is a bizarre episode, even by Flopcast standards. Let's see... in this week's Pudding Pages segment, Kevin and Kornflake learn all about weird 1970s lipstick. Really. Then our Chickens in the News segment takes us to the thriving metropolis of Chicken, Alaska (and if you like bluegrass festivals, chicken suits, and being in the middle of nowhere, this is your kind of town). Finally Kornflake brings us a rather silly interview from LukeSkiCon with comedy musician Insane Ian! Will Kornflake and Ian get thrown out of an arcade in the middle of the interview? Let's hope so; that'd be funny.

Direct download: Flopcast_061.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Kornflake returns from Chicago with a full report on LukeSkiCon, which featured comedy music performances, a field trip to the Galloping Ghost Arcade, a Top 4 1/2 List recorded especially for The Flopcast, and more demented water aerobics. Also: I Forgot Day is this week (or maybe it was last week, whatever); we learn of the existence of lobster coffee; and we look forward to CONvergence, where we'll be joining the Skepchicks, the Rifftrax guys, and yes, once again, the great Luke Ski. Yikes, this is our LukeSkiest show ever. We have a problem.

Direct download: Flopcast_060.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:41am EDT

Time to sneak snacks into the cinema, as the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake to discuss the new geek-friendly summer movies. (Star Trek! Iron Man! And for no good reason, Back to School and Fantasy Island!) We also celebrate National Chocolate Pudding Day with an ill-conceived arts and crafts project, this week's "Chickens in the News" is a lesson in how to annoy your annoying neighbors, and the Aquabats meet a mutant chicken. Okay, the podcast is starting -- please turn off your cell phones and your babies.

Direct download: Flopcast_059.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:24am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake attend a Jim's Big Ego concert (which magically turns into a Chickens in the News singalong); our "What's in the Bag?" segment is once again very, very lobster-themed; this week's Pudding Pages segment is all about record players (and those Peter Pan book-and-record sets, which sort of ruled); and just in time for World Sauntering Day, Kornflake attempts a karaoke performance of "Break My Stride," but it all goes horribly wrong. 

Direct download: Flopcast_058.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:09am EDT

Happy 75th Birthday to Superman! Kevin and Kornflake celebrate with a Flopcast-style tribute to the Man of Steel, focusing on important stuff like goofy Super Friends cartoons, 1970s Mego dolls (sorry, action figures), comic book ads for glow-in-the-dark Kryptonite, and Beppo the Super Monkey (proud member of the Legion of Super Pets). Enjoy some classic (and some long forgotten) TV commercials and PSAs along the way. (If you stockpiled a few cases of Superman Peanut Butter back in the 80s, make yourself a sandwich.) Also: Kornflake is excited about the new Barenaked Ladies album and tour, and we prepare for National Flip Flop Day. (Hey, you know who can't wear flip flops? Superman's mermaid girlfriend Lori Lemaris, that's who. Maybe life in Atlantis isn't quite as awesome as you thought.)

Direct download: Flopcast_057.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:03am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake attempt to celebrate National Running Day without actually moving; at the Southcoast Toy and Comic Show, we find the Karate Kid-themed puzzle book of our dreams; we highly recommend having a monkey in a Hawaiian shirt at your next wedding; and by request, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of arcade video games. Everyone thought we were wasting our time back in the 80s, pumping quarter after quarter into Burgertime machines. But it was all just painstaking research for this week's show. You're welcome. 

Direct download: Flopcast_056.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:41pm EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate Sunscreen Day with our usual advice to slather on plenty of the stuff, or better yet, don't leave the house at all; Kornflake's recent illness just gave her more time to do what she does best -- search the Internet for silly British game shows and web comics; while we're puzzled by all the wrestlers in her videos, Cyndi Lauper continues to completely rule; a new Kickstarter-funded album of covers of 70s/80s soft rock reminds us that we'll never really escape from the Pina Colada Song (but we're okay with that); and this week's "Chickens in the News" segment may leave you with nightmares of chicken/frog hybrid creatures. Enjoy!

Direct download: Flopcast_055.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake recount their long perilous road trip to the Speak Up storytelling event in Hartford; along the way, they visit a couple of shops celebrating Free Comic Book Day, discover a place called Chicken City, and endure massive amounts of Tiffany music. Also this week: Geek Pride Day (prepare to take over the world, kids), Bacon Night at the library (which was a huge artery-clogging success), the Breeders reunion tour (which has us nostalgic for 90s music, for a change), the Watch City Festival (featuring our favorite steampunk mermaid), and the Pudding Pages with Dapper Dan. Tune in and help us figure out if we ever really escaped the mean streets of Connecticut.

Direct download: Flopcast_054.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:54am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake are joined by the Mayor of Chickentown as we look back on a whole silly year of Flopcasting! (If only this were a 1980s sitcom-style flashback clip show...) For our anniversary show, we also have an anniversary-themed Top 4 1/2 List, featuring robots, kazoos, and Mad Libs. (Your three favorite things. Admit it.) Now it's on to Flopcast Year Two, in which we'll stray too far from our original concept, and use too many super-villain guest stars all at the same time. Sorry.

Direct download: Flopcast_053.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:09am EDT

Kornflake looks forward to No Sock Day, despite the dire implications for puppets everywhere; there is indeed bacon at the library (apparently the books are not enough of a draw anymore); our Chickens in the News segment takes us to Florida's Chicken Church (which is actually the least weird thing in Florida); and this week's Pudding Pages segment is truly outrageous. Now excuse us as we prepare for next week's Flopcast anniversary celebration. Hey, maybe the library will lend us a cheese ball.

Direct download: Flopcast_052.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:03am EDT

Everyone keeps telling Kornflake she is getting older, but we don't believe it; Kevin reports on concerts by symphonic metal band Anaria and former Monkee Mike Nesmith (hey, they should tour together); because April 30th is Hairstylist Appreciation Day, Kornflake is honoring her high school librarian; Kevin has a weird story about the time he met folk legend Richie Havens; and instead of attending the postponed Boston Comic Con, we wander down to Bellingham, Massachusetts and talk to Jay and Joe of Rubber Chicken Comics, Panda Valentine of Wicked Geeky, and Hellion author Jim Savard. (How many unnecessary references to Air Supply can Kevin crowbar into these conversations? Let's see...)

Direct download: Flopcast_051.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:26pm EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate Tell a Story Day, while acknowledging that their own stories tend to be quite lame; our latest Chickens in the News segment is immediately followed by our first (and hopefully last) Ferrets in the News segment; at a recent They Might Be Giants concert, Kornflake falls in love with the saxophone-based opening band, and Kevin recalls the last TMBG show he attended, where he acted like a huge creep; and speaking of saxophones, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite 1980s saxophone solos! (How many Billy Ocean songs made the list? Way more than you'd think.)

Direct download: Flopcast_050.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:38pm EDT

Kornflake's "What's in the Bag?" segment delays our coffee consumption by almost a minute, which is a big problem; we're frightened by National Cheese Ball Day; we celebrate the career of comic book artist Carmine Infantino, who brought us Flash, Elongated Man, and (most importantly) Detective Chimp; Kornflake samples some mysterious homebrewed Harry Potter-themed beer; The Flopcast meets The FlappCast; and Kevin reports on his recent trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. And if you think we can talk about blue-footed boobies without a nice classy burst of immature giggling, you don't really know us anymore, do you?

Direct download: Flopcast_049.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:14am EDT

Welcome to springtime in Chickentown, true believers! Kornflake is doing some spring cleaning; Kevin is not. Meanwhile, for this week's National Whatever Day, our plans to "walk on the wild side" involve parachutes, gorilla suits, and prepositions. (This will not end well.) Finally we present a Top 4 1/2 List that's all about TEETH! But as usual, it's actually a list of weird cartoons, puppets, and They Might Be Giants songs. Because we are us.

Direct download: Flopcast_048.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:22pm EDT

This week Kevin and Kornflake tackle the tough questions. Is Level 42 better than Black 47? (No, they both rule.) Was Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings just a ripoff of Harold and the Purple Crayon? (See previous answer.) Kool-Aid Man: thirst-quenching hero or out-of-control destructive freak? (Again, BOTH!) And how many times will our Chickens in the News segment take us back to Woonsocket, Rhode Island? (Just twice so far. But we're monitoring the Northern Rhode Island poultry situation very, very closely.)

Direct download: Flopcast_047.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Having survived their bizarre trip to Minnesota for MarsCon, Kevin and Kornflake are safely back in Chickentown. (And thanks to their shiny new court-ordered ankle monitors, they'll never leave again!) This week: Kornflake has a Flopcast-themed nightmare and a turkey-themed tale of terror, National Whatever Day involves (get ready for a shock) lobsters, and we're not quite done with our coverage of MarsCon! Yes, we have three crazy interview clips for you, with three of our favorite MarsCon performers: Power Salad, TV's Kyle, and Flat 29! Has Chris from Power Salad ever dunked a chicken (which is totally not a euphemism)? Can we get TV's Kyle to agree (grudgingly) that the greatest cartoon of all time is Jabberjaw? Are Flat 29's Dan and Charlie planning to force their bandmate Rich to undergo horrific cosmetic surgery? Listen and learn! (Or just keep reading right now. The answer to every question is yes.)

Direct download: Flopcast_046.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

We're still in Minnesota for the silliest science fiction convention of all (thanks to the Dementia track of comedy music), MarsCon! Late Sunday night, as things are winding down, a Dementia supergroup gathers to look back on the whole crazy weekend, just for the Flopcast. Joining Kevin and Kornflake are the great Luke Ski (of Luke and Carrie's Bad Rapport), Sara Trice, Power Salad's Chris Mezzolesta, Kobi Lacroix, Break Man Z, and Blasted Bill Putt! Luke even joins Kornflake for a Top 4 1/2 List of their favorite MarsCon moments. And we wrap up with TWO rounds of "What's in the Bag?", featuring scary potato chips and non-scary Pez dispensers.

Direct download: Flopcast_045.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:04pm EDT

A show this weird could only happen at MarsCon, the Minnesota science fiction convention where all our crazy friends from the comedy music scene gather each year. On Day 1, Kevin and Kornflake are joined by the breakout star of this episode, Delia (aka Doornail). Delia has pointy elf ears, is quite dangerous around beverages and furniture, and never stops giggling. So you'll love her. Then on Day 2, we're joined by Blasted Bill Putt, as The Flopcast and The Pod of Destiny merge into one big silly superpodcast: The Flop of Destiny. We discuss the Logan Award winners, Kornflake's much-anticipated water aerobics class, why Kevin should not go anywhere near the hotel pool, and Bill's elevator entrapment (apparently something of a MarsCon tradition). Also: the thrilling conclusion of the Amoeba Lederhosen Challenge! And hey, if you promise to keep on giggling just like Delia, we'll have even more MarsCon for you next week...

Direct download: Flopcast_044.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:34pm EDT

Here's a goofy little episode we recorded just before leaving for MarsCon! Kornflake rides a bus and turns into a cartoon fish; for National Whatever Day, we're being nasty and we're panicking; this week's Pudding Pages segment involves shrinking things and enlarging things; The Mayor of Chickentown returns from California with a Doctor Who convention report (and, more importantly, booze); and we end with yet another Chickens in the News segment about weird potato chips.

Direct download: Flopcast_043.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

After taking care of a little business here in Chickentown (like celebrating Public Sleeping Day and discussing weird perfume from the 70s), Kevin and Kornflake are, yes, packing for MarsCon, a silly science fiction convention happening in Minnesota next weekend. So today we're checking out the convention schedule (Mad Science! Claudia Christian! And hey, Water Aerobics with Kornflake!) and looking forward to seeing some of our favorite funny musicians (Flat 29! Luke Ski! TV's Kyle!)... yikes, this should be fun. If we're not back in Chickentown the following week, please send a search party to Minnesota. (Beth Kinderman's Space Oddity Brew Pub room party would be a logical place to start searching.)

Direct download: Flopcast_042.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:08pm EDT

Kornflake has two different National Whatever Days for us this week -- and Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day is the less ridiculous one; Kevin introduces a very exciting new segment called "The Pudding Pages," for which we're going to need a 217-sided die; and our latest Top 4 1/2 List is particularly goofy, even by Flopcast standards: we're listing Wilsons. Characters, songs, Cajun chefs, chinchillas -- anything named Wilson just might make the list. Okay, maybe not chinchillas. But trust us -- a chinchilla is involved.

Direct download: Flopcast_041.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:53pm EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate Darwin Day with a piping hot bowl of Primordial Soup; as MarsCon preparations continue, we learn why you don't want to sit next to Kornflake on a plane; and because we're still dangerously obsessed with goofy old sitcoms, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite wacky neighbors. Come on, you haven't had this much fun since 1978, when your brother took you to a Lenny and the Squigtones concert.

Direct download: Flopcast_040.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:35am EDT

Kornflake presents a ridiculous new segment called National Whatever Day; we confirm that there WILL be Water Aerobics in the Martian Gravity Pit at MarsCon this year; Kevin stays out way too late thanks to Adam Carolla and Niki Luparelli; we have an Amoeba Lederhosen Challenge update; a new book about the band Heart leads to a discussion of 70s music versus 80s music, as well as our thoughts on this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (too much Randy Newman, not enough Martika); and we end with a Chickens in the News story from Atlanta, where 26,000 pounds of chicken wings are on the loose and ready to party.

Direct download: Flopcast_039.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake report live from Arisia, a big crazy science fiction convention held in Boston each January. Some highlights: Kevin interviews comedy/nerdcore artist Devo Spice (mostly about old Atari games); a live performance of The Nightmare Before Christmas features a giant chicken; we revive "Make Carl Angry," a beloved segment from Kornflake's old radio show; "Footloose in Space" will be the greatest movie ever; we encounter a Harley Quinn belly dancer, a Dr. Horrible tattoo, and a guy in a crab suit; and the ladies of Wicked Geeky explain what a "bodice-gasm" is. Yikes, what a fun show -- even if Boston in January is so cold that you wish you'd brought along a dead tauntaun.

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Direct download: Flopcast_038.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:29am EDT

For episode 37, we just had to talk about Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and all the movies of Kevin Smith. Come on, you know why. Also: Kevin cannot escape from Jennifer Grey's dog, Kornflake is frantically listening to every funny song released last year, Ms. Pac-Man and The Hobbit are a dangerous combination, and everyone on the Internet alerts us about this week's "Chickens in the News." (Note: By "everyone," we mean three people. We round up.)

Direct download: Flopcast_037.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:40am EDT

Kornflake is named as a juror in this year's Logan Awards for excellence in comedy music (so if the big winner is a kazoo-playing lobster, you know what happened); Kevin recommends a Queen cover band, and even admits to buying Queen albums on 8-track; we wander all the way to Connecticut to check out "The Clowns," a new rock opera, because why not; and, as requested by no one, we count down our Top 4 1/2 favorite angry things. If this episode were any angrier, it would live in a van down by the river.

Direct download: Flopcast_036.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:59am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake have been issued a bizarre challenge by the Pod of Destiny, and without giving it nearly enough thought, we accept. Also: We vow to keep the “o” in “Amoeba”; our latest “Chickens in the News” segment features weird Chinese potato chips; our latest “What’s in the Bag?” segment features perhaps the most wonderful Flopcast item ever; we prepare for some upcoming geeky conventions; and we reveal our New Year’s resolutions, all of which directly impact the future of the Flopcast. Stick with us for 2013, kids -- it’ll be silly and awesome. Mostly silly.

Direct download: Flopcast_035.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:11am EDT

Armed with their new Christmas gifts (a Big Bang Theory shirt and an inflatable beard of bees), Kevin and Kornflake are ready to make bold fashion statements in the new year. Also discussed: Archie McPhee, V66, the Boston Band Crush Holiday Spectacular (with Freezepop, of course), the very disappointing Mayan apocalypse, and the best way to spend New Year's Eve. (That would be staying home and doing nothing. Try it!) The show ends with another electrifying round of "What's in the Bag?", and that's it for Flopcast 2012. Next year we'll try to lighten things up and stop taking ourselves so seriously.

Direct download: Flopcast_034.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:06am EDT

A couple of weeks back, the Mayor of Chickentown joined Kevin and Kornflake to count down the Top 4 1/2 Christmas specials produced by Rankin/Bass. This week the Mayor returns, and we're counting down the Top 4 1/2 Christmas specials NOT produced by Rankin/Bass! The usual suspects are here -- including the Grinch, Charlie Brown, and miscellaneous Muppets -- but we cover quite a few lesser known shows too. (Does anyone besides Kevin remember "A Cosmic Christmas"?) We're also joined once again by a weird annoying singing bird, because why not. And through it all, we enjoy big hot mugs of Joe Chickenhead's Angry Glogg -- a beverage guaranteed to keep you nice and crazy through the whole stupid holiday season.

Direct download: Flopcast_033.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:29am EDT

Kornflake keeps getting touched by strangers, only some of whom look exactly like Dave Grohl; our holiday party stories involve giving bad directions to our dates and lying to magicians; Kevin recommends Christmas music from Air Supply (not chicken-themed) and Steve Foster (very, very chicken-themed); Steven Wright is a national treasure; Grant's Advent Calendar is back in business; and our friend Rich has a brilliant idea for a holiday special called, yes, "Murray Christmas."

Direct download: Flopcast_032.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:04pm EDT

As you may suspect, we're dangerously obsessed with the classic animated holiday specials produced by Rankin/Bass. Starting with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964, Rankin/Bass cranked out one amazing cartoon after another right through the mid-80s. This week the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a very festive Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite Rankin/Bass holiday shows. We discuss Rudolph and Frosty, Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Heat Miser and Snow Miser, Yukon Cornelius and Hermey, and all their weird little pals. Hey, are these wholesome heartwarming shows for the whole family? Or, if you spend a few decades over-analyzing them (as perhaps we have) do any dark and disturbing themes emerge? Happily, the answer to both questions is an enthusiastic yes, and we all win.

Direct download: Flopcast_031.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

Our Chickentown studio halls have been decked, and there is now a festive Flying Spaghetti Monster creepily staring down from the top of our tree; Kornflake rescues a dog named after one of the kids from Fame; Kevin reports on his road trip to Buffalo, in which he encountered Monkees, squouses, and even a Skepchick; we mourn the death of Hostess, but at least it's an excuse to share more weird junior high stories; and we wrap up with a heartwarming holiday edition of Chickens in the News. This show is really the audio equivalent of figgy pudding, in more ways than we'd care to explain.

Direct download: Flopcast_030.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:48am EDT

Kornflake attends a Wazzumhog party (not sure of the spelling on that - and AutoCorrect did NOT help); Kevin and a bunch of other comic book geeks invade the Norman Rockwell Museum for an Alex Ross exhibition; Kornflake prepares for Bad Movie Night, which hopefully will feature Mindy Cohn; we are freaked out by Pinchy the Split Lobster; and we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite giants. (Why didn't Paul Bunyan make the list? Maybe because in reality, he stood just five feet tall. It's true. Check Snopes.)

Direct download: Flopcast_029.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:48am EDT

The Mayor of Chickentown presides over another electrifying round of "What's in the Bag?"; Kevin reports from the Rhode Island Comic Con, where he meets costumed characters, horror hosts, giant snakes, and Holly from Land of the Lost; Kornflake meets an oddly chatty toll booth attendant, and plans a proper Thanksgiving dinner featuring toast and jelly beans; Kevin has one more story about juggling Spam on TV (this time it was on the streets of New York, on Thanksgiving Day, with Jennifer Grey); and in our most awesome "Chickens in the News" segment ever, a brave little rubber chicken is heading for outer space. So it's a pretty festive Thanksgiving show. We're like the giant Underdog balloon of podcasts.

Direct download: Flopcast_028.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's episode 27, and that means Kevin and Kornflake are talking about "Weird Al" Yankovic! (If you're a Weird Al fan, you know why.) We discuss Al's songs, videos, and concerts, as well as his movie, his Saturday morning TV series, and yes, his mustache. Also, a tree fell on Kornflake's house! Some blame the hurricane. We blame Harvey the Wonder Hamster.

Direct download: Flopcast_027.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:28pm EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate six months of Flopcasting by wandering from one silly topic to the next... but they keep coming back to Kenny Rogers. Also: Kornflake wins a contest at the Red Arrow Diner, recalls her college radio days, looks for lobsters on Twitter, stockpiles an emergency supply of bacon, and tries to explain "Numberwang" (which is impossible). Meanwhile Kevin meets one of his comedy heroes (it's Chris Elliott, and shut up), and attends a James Bond-themed concert by Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers. Then we end the show with some Chickens in the News! Now it's time to prepare for the Flopcast's next six months. Friends, we have a lot more unimportant work to do.

Direct download: Flopcast_026.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:50am EDT

Yes, it's Halloween in Chickentown! (But stay away, stupid trick-or-treaters! More Lemonheads for us.) Kevin tells the story of the bizarre Halloween when he carved pumpkins and juggled Spam on TV; Kornflake's past Halloween costumes include Yip Yip aliens, cows with weird piercings, and a pile of leaves; we discuss our favorite Halloween-type movies (like Mad Monster Party and Poultrygeist) and shows (like Monster Squad and, uh, The Facts of Life); and Kornflake ends the show with an eerily inaccurate Chewbacca impression. Listen closely, kids - some actual unexplained sounds and voices pop up throughout this episode! But it's still about as scary as a Frankenberry commercial.

Direct download: Flopcast_025.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:27am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake have slightly different opinions of "Gangnam Style" (you're shocked, aren't you?); Kevin recommends the novel "Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend" by his old neighbor, Matthew Dicks; we try to figure out which of Kornflake's friends are indeed imaginary; we recommend The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd and Rifftrax Live; and thanks to a suggestion from Blasted Bill Putt, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of talking birds. (Why did it take 24 episodes for us to do a bird-themed list? According to Mr. Owl, the world may never know.)

Direct download: Flopcast_024.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:08pm EDT

Fueled by Ninja Coffee, Kevin and Kornflake discuss their recent trips to Maine (where Kornflake's dog was not impressed by the foliage) and Vermont (where Kevin still can't find any lake monsters); Kornflake is quite befuddled by the sitcoms of Bob Newhart; we welcome the return of Ben Folds Five, especially since it involves robots and puppets; and our "Chickens in the News" segment features a chicken named Lucky. Not to be confused with our "Lobsters in the News" segment, which features a lobster named Lucky. Oh, how we wish we were making this up.

Direct download: Flopcast_023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake ponder the comedic value of lobsters (sure, they might be funny, but not on the level of, say, chickens); we look back at 1980s cable TV, which mostly involved watching Toto's "Africa" video, again and again; our "Chickens in the News" segment takes us all the way to the White House; and, as requested by absolutely no one, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite green cartoon characters. (We're, uh, sort of making this up as we go along.)

Direct download: Flopcast_022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

Kornflake is back from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed party, where she ate weird pizza, played weird card games, and climbed on weird people; Kevin is back from Jury Duty, where, it turns out, full Judge Dredd uniforms are frowned upon; and by request, we present a Top 4 1/2 List of awful snack foods. Oh, we also unveil a startling new version of our Flopcast theme music, and we get attacked by a helicopter. But don't worry. Despite this being such an action-packed show, nothing really happens.

Direct download: Flopcast_021.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Our DragonCon coverage concludes (finally!) on a high note: an exclusive Flopcast interview with the Amazing One himself, James Randi! This leads to Kevin and Kornflake discussing Randi's career and the skeptic movement in general. (Dowsing! Psychic surgery! Psychic spoon-bending! Some of these things might not really work!) Then we switch gears and kick around some ridiculous new job ideas for Kornflake (involving ATMs and airport security, believe it or not). Finally we abandon the safety of our Chickentown studio and report live from a Dar Williams concert in Somerville, Massachusetts -- where the Irish pubs play country music, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed parties go all night.

Direct download: Flopcast_020.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:29am EDT

Kevin braves the mean streets of Connecticut to see a George Hrab show and a million Pez dispensers; our DragonCon recap continues with an interview with mentalist Mark Edward, author of Psychic Blues; Kornflake climbs inside a human hamster ball; the start of the school year brings memories of lunch boxes and exploding bridges; Kornflake recommends crazy British mustaches and sock puppets; and we close with yet another bizarre Chickens in the News segment. You know, in some cultures, this would almost be considered a weird show.

Direct download: Flopcast_019.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:54pm EDT

Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown are back from Atlanta, with a full DragonCon report to share with Kornflake and with you! This extra-long episode (sorry) starts with some nice calm day-by-day reports of encountering folks like The Amazing Randi, Alice Cooper, Levar Burton, Nichelle Nichols, Adam West and Burt Ward, and yes, Freezepop. But then the show descends into chaos, as we head right into the middle of the DragonCon late night party scene and encounter some, uh, colorful characters. Hang on, kids; this one gets a little weird...

Direct download: Flopcast_018.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:21pm EDT

Warning! This is NOT your typical Flopcast episode! It's a lot shorter, and (they said it couldn't be done) a lot stupider.

We're actually taking a little break this Labor Day weekend. We're sleepy. You know, it's hard work giggling into a microphone, week after miserable week...

But we didn't want to leave you lost and confused all week, totally Flop-free. And so... the Flopathon. Enjoy.

The Flopathon was filmed in front of a live studio audience. (Well, not really. But I always wanted to say that. Just like Tom Bosley...)

Direct download: Flopcast_017.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Pack up your finest Spock ears and beam yourself to Atlanta -- it's our DragonCon preview episode! Kevin and Kornflake get ready for our favorite annual gathering of geeks -- featuring costumers, gamers, steampunks, skeptics, puppets, robots, mad scientists, mutants, and misfits of all sorts. And then for this week's Top 4 1/2 List, we count down our favorite mermaids! (Yeah, we're trying to pick up more listeners in Atlantis -- a market totally ignored by most podcasts...)

Direct download: Flopcast_016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Kornflake goes to a wild keg party hosted by a one month old baby; Kevin is obsessed with Fame reruns and character actor Dick Miller; the Mayor of Chickentown joins us for a very scientific root beer taste test (which somehow involves the Brady Bunch); and we look forward to some upcoming geek-friendly live shows -- be there, even if you have to crash through the ceiling, Judd Nelson-style. The Flopcast -- we're NOT gonna learn how to fly! (Manage your expectations, silly Fame kids.)

Direct download: Flopcast_015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:58am EDT

Kevin takes a highway to the danger zone (assuming your definition of "danger zone" is a Kenny Loggins concert), Kornflake visits the crazy dancing non-showering people at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, our latest "Chickens in the News" story takes us to Arkansas (a hotbed of chicken-themed crime, we assume), and we count down our Top 4 1/2 favorite goofy old commercials. So how many licks does it take to get to the center of this podcast? Please keep the answer, and your suspiciously moist iPod, to yourself.

Direct download: Flopcast_014.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

A super-short episode, because we're sleepy! This week: Thanks to her trusty expired sunblock, Kornflake is now a healthy Kool-Aid Man shade of red; Kevin's trip to North Carolina and Kornflake's trip to Maine both involve weird ducks; and we sneak in a little Spider-Man movie talk too. Warning: The show ends with some genuine Morgan Freeman narration, as if a bunch of penguins were breaking out of Shawshank.

Direct download: Flopcast_013.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:13am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake exchange weird summer job stories -- Kornflake worked at a mysterious warehouse which may or may not have contained little suits for turkeys, while Kevin drew edible Legos on TV; our latest Chicken in the News resides in a town all too familiar to us; and we count down our Top 4 1/2 favorite mustaches. (Yikes, Magnum PI didn't even make the list! You know where to send your complaints.)

Direct download: Flopcast_012.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:55am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate Independence Day by avoiding fireworks and people (especially people); the San Diego Comic-Con is discussed (but not in detail, since we didn't go -- remember, we're avoiding people); it's almost time for Kornflake's beach vacation, during which a 102-year-old woman must do her bidding; and there is much silly TV talk, including a look back at the greatest TV crossover ever. (Uh, that'd be when Boss Hogg visited Mel's Diner. We're a little disappointed that you had to ask.)

Direct download: Flopcast_011.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:20am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate the Flopcast's 10th episode, and (perhaps wrongly) assume this is now the longest-running podcast ever; Kornflake's vacation plans keep getting weirder; despite being total nerds, we look at the world of sports for our latest "Chickens in the News" segment; and we count down the Top 4 1/2 funny songs of the last ten years. If there is a lesson to be learned from today's show, it's that you probably shouldn't set trampolines on fire. (The more you know...)

Direct download: Flopcast_010.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Flopcast 009: Watch It, Jive Turkeys

For reasons we do not completely understand, Kornflake is wearing a roll of caution tape; we discuss angry crane operators and Muppet Theory; and the Mayor of Chickentown joins us to talk about summer movies, some of which apparently do not star Kevin Bacon. Which is sort of a big problem.

Direct download: Flopcast_009.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:56am EDT

We're back in the basement, still hiding from the crazy heat wave. This week Kevin can't remember all the Ramones drummers; Kornflake has one more Rock and Roll Hall of Fame suggestion; a 'Chickens in the News' segment takes us to the mean streets of Black Jack, Missouri; on Kornflake's new dating show, your dog chooses your date; and because the people demanded it, we count down the Top 4 1/2 cartoon robots.

Direct download: Flopcast_008.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43am EDT

Desperate to escape the miserable heat, Kevin & Kornflake record the Flopcast from a secret subterranean bunker! Kornflake's commute involves sprinklers and weird abandoned phone booths; we offer a correction about Sir Todd Bridges; despite the advice of medical professionals, Kevin won't shut up about goofy old sitcoms; and we review this year's Logan Awards for comedy music (and whine about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). But worry not; through it all, we somehow never stop making fun of Richard Marx.

Direct download: Flopcast_007.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:26am EDT

Connecticut is a hotbed of chicken-themed crime, cucumber lemonade is a bad idea, Kevin and Kornflake declare war on Venus, our new Flopcast business cards create the illusion of professionalism, and we present a Top 4 1/2 List of Pleasant Surprises (only some of which involve black coffee and turkeys). And as usual, somewhere in there, we tell a big fat lie about Todd Bridges.

Direct download: Flopcast_006.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:41am EDT

The Flopcast welcomes its first special guest, as the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a round of "What's in the Bag?" We also compare goofy prom stories, and debate whether dogs or rubber chickens make better pets. Strap yourselves in, kids; today's show flies by faster than Bulletman the Human Bullet.

Direct download: Flopcast_005.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:08am EDT

Kornflake's dog joins meetup.com, Kevin is frightened by "Laughter Yoga," Bonnie Tyler leads the Bully Parade, karaoke is usually a big mistake, and we present a Top 4 1/2 List that's way stupider than the last one.

Direct download: Flopcast_004.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:17am EDT

Mr. Bubble meets Mr. Mister, we acknowledge past mistakes, Kornflake has a Prank War update, Kevin infiltrates the Nerdist podcast, skunks love Kenny Loggins, we love Weird Al... and the episode ends with a murder! Somebody call Quincy -- this podcast needs a tiny chalk outline.

Direct download: Flopcast_003.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:34am EDT

Kornflake's ridiculous new super-hero identity is revealed, Kevin visits the Boston Comic Con (featuring Mad Magazine artists, and Boston's own version of Mr. T), we sing the praises of a couple of nerd-friendly local bands, and we count down the Top 4 1/2 Supporting Characters in 1980s Cartoons. Hard to believe we get paid the big bucks to do this...

Direct download: Flopcast_002.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's our first official episode! Kevin and Kornflake are strangely fascinated by their coffee mugs, Kornflake attends an Australia-themed wedding (but not really), the Prank Wars begin, Kevin goes to MarsCon and plays Boob Tree, we recall weird candy from the 80s, and the contents of a Mystery Bag are revealed. It's just another day in Chickentown.

Direct download: Flopcast_001_mp3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:06pm EDT

It's the Flopcast secret sneak preview episode! Don't tell anyone! Kevin & Kornflake ramble for a few minutes about novelty license plates from Honey Combs cereal boxes, the cultural phenomenon that is The Fall Guy, and not having any friends. (Hey, if that's all you talked about, how many friends would YOU have?) You're welcome, Internet! Time for a beverage!

Direct download: Flopcast_000.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:38pm EDT