The Flopcast

Why, it's New Year's Eve, so Kevin and Kornflake grab some coffee (that most festive of beverages) and look back at 2017. 'Twas a horrifying year overall (did you notice?), but we got through it together, and managed to have some fun here on our goofy little show. Our convention schedule was busy this year; highlights included our meeting with Judy Tenuta, our defense of Howard the Duck, and our final shocking confrontation with Greg Brady. We also brought you dozens of concert reports on the most exciting new artists of today, including Richard Marx, Men Without Hats, and Air Supply. (We define "today" as "at least 30 years ago.") And of course, 2017 also brought us a new Earth Station One book (have you read Kevin's weird chicken story yet?), a wonderful old Love Boat script, our ten-part review of High Feather (you're welcome!)... and the return of Robolar from Mars. But now it's time to look forward, as we also reveal our ridiculous New Year's Resolutions, and announce our schedule for Boston's favorite science fiction convention, Arisia! Join us there, get a Flopcast badge ribbon, and please bring more coffee.

Direct download: Flopcast_295.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:51am EDT

It's a quick show this holiday week, so you'll have plenty of time to dedicate to avoiding your family. But in the spirit of the season, we play a round of Figgy Pudding Pages, and discuss if kids prefer cool electronic games or weird hair appliances for Christmas. Also: A Flopcast correspondent reports live from Florida with a very festive Chickens in the News update. Plus: More 90s fun with MTV's The Real World, Elvis Costello, and Crash Test Dummies. Now it's time to pop in that DVD of Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey and relax. Pass the nog, please.

Direct download: Flopcast_294.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:04am EDT

Our goofy holiday festivities continue with a special visit from the Mayor of Chickentown! And the Mayor is here to present a Top 4 1/2 List of Mayors! Specifically, all those wacky mayors from our favorite holiday cartoons! You may recall the mayor from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (who freaked out over Mr. Trundle's broken clock) and the mayor from The Year Without a Santa Claus (who had to deal with those pesky Miser Brothers). But we cover some lesser known mayors too... including an evil mayor voiced by Charles Nelson Reilly! Yes, that really happened, and it was wonderful. Also: Tracy Bonham, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the ESO Book Club, a Christmas Crustacean edition of What's in the Bag, and yes, evil gorillas. It's everything you need for a perfect holiday season. Enjoy.

Direct download: Flopcast_293.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:04pm EDT

This week we take a quick look back at some favorite cartoons, and one very memorable sax solo, from 1992. Also: Kevin returns to Oberon for a Nightmare Before Christmas concert and burlesque show with Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, and Kevin and the Mayor sneak down to Connecticut for another Speak Up storytelling show. And because we were in Connecticut, we have a major update on our recent Turkeys in the News segment! Join us as the story of Kevin the Turkey reaches its shocking conclusion. We also get Kornflake's final podcast recommendation of the year, and since we're in the middle of the stupid holidays, we recommend Grant's Advent Calendar too! Next week: More holiday silliness, probably. Meanwhile, watch out for turkeys.

Direct download: Flopcast_292.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:39pm EDT

It's a holiday spectacular, sort of, but not really! First, Kornflake's 1991 edition of National Whatever Day celebrates the debut of Ren and Stimpy, a show considered quite outrageous in its time. How innocent we were. Kornflake has also made her annual pilgrimage to the lobster trap Christmas tree up in Maine (a weird crustacean-themed holiday tradition, but why not). Meanwhile, Kevin ran around Boston like a maniac all week, and has concert reports on Letters to Cleo, Blake Babies, Squeeze, and Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers (with Lipstick Criminals). In other words, we're exhausted. But we still manage to play a round of Figgy Pudding Pages and come up with a wacky new holiday money-making scheme. (Listen to the show for details, but in short: If everyone knocks their Christmas trees over, we'll be filthy rich.)

Direct download: Flopcast_291.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:20am EDT

Our 1980s-themed shows have ended (but for how long?), and yikes, here come the 1990s. We'll get through this ten-episode descent into madness together, starting this week with a look at the year 1990. Yes, MC Hammer (and his giant pants) ruled the pop charts... but weirder acts like They Might Be Giants and Ed's Redeeming Qualities were around too, and that's what we liked. Meanwhile back here in 2017, Kornflake has a couple of concert reports. She traveled down to Rhode Island (land of coffee milk and lobby waffles) to see Eddie From Ohio, and up to New Hampshire (land of mountains and angry people) to see Janet Jackson! (You may remember Janet from Diff'rent Strokes, but did you know she is also a rather successful recording artist?) And Kornflake also has her podcast recommendation for November. Does it somehow involve Jon Cryer? Oh, you bet it does.

Direct download: Flopcast_290.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:17am EDT

In the final installment of our latest ten-part look at the 1980s, we recall the debut of the Energizer Bunny, and review how frightening Top 40 radio had become by 1989. (We'd rather listen to that stupid rabbit pound its little drum than suffer through any more Milli Vanilli.) We also have some listener feedback from last week's orangutan-themed Top 4 1/2 List, including a special message from the great Luke Ski! Then we move on to Thanksgiving topics, because Peppermint Patty just invited herself over and made us do it. In a special Turkeys in the News segment, we meet Wethersfield, Connecticut's most beloved citizen, Kevin the Turkey. (Is Connecticut also home to a Kornflake the Turkey? The search is on.) Also: One of our favorite podcasts, Foxes in the Hen House, is hosting a fun Thanksgiving weekend charity event, and they could use your help. Meanwhile, we'll be at the annual Black Friday David Bowie tribute concert with Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers and Lipstick Criminals! So don't just fill up on popcorn, jelly beans, and toast, and then nap all weekend. (Although that does sound like a good plan too... okay, your call.)

Direct download: Flopcast_289.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:48pm EDT

Kornflake is off this week (or is she???), but the Mayor of Chickentown is here to discuss the movies and music of 1988. (At the movies, it was a big year for Uma Thurman, Winona Ryder, and Dennis Farina's mustache. Meanwhile on the radio, the Escape Club warned us that we were heading for the 90s, and we were in trouble.) Then we celebrate the discovery of a new orangutan species with a quick Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite orangutans! Go ahead and sing a round of "Rock Me Doctor Zaius" as we recall some fine apes from movies, cartoons, and one bizarre sitcom. (Anyone else remember Mr. Smith?) Also: Our Halloween antics (and goofy costumes) in Salem and beyond, Kevin's recent guest appearances on Pop Culture Cosmos, listener feedback, and more. Next week: Less ape talk, more Kornflake. (Unless Kornflake wants to talk about apes. Then we'll have both.)

Direct download: Flopcast_288.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:51am EDT

Our ridiculous ten-episode trip through the 80s continues with a quick look at 1987! For astronomy fans, a supernova was visible in the sky; meanwhile back on Earth, we were dancing to Pet Shop Boys and Swing Out Sister. (The supernova, apparently not a fan of 80s pop, was unimpressed, and just kept on supernoving.) Also: Kevin has a surprise reunion with a couple of old friends and performers from his old open mic night (remember how we all spent the mid-90s in coffee shops?), Sean and Adam Fullerton. And we review the recent Super Megafest convention, where we found stars from LA Law, Battlestar Galactica, and The Flash, as well as our very favorite Bionic people, and the voice of Hermey the Elf. Who caused us to freak out the most? Oh yeah. It was Hermey.

Direct download: Flopcast_287.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

It's our goofy Halloween show, but we're also celebrating the year 1986! Oprah Winfrey's talk show debuted (but who cares), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first class (which totally should have included Air Supply), and Madonna invited you to make her "True Blue" music video. (Did you do it? She's probably still waiting.) Meanwhile this week, one friend of ours is participating in a 25-hour charity gaming event, while another friend is opening a new comic book store! (Our friends are crazy and that's how we like them.) And Kornflake has a 90s music-themed show for her monthly podcast recommendation. But it's Halloween, so we're also talking about lobster costumes, weird dentist pumpkins, the 1978 Halloween movie... and yes, problematic candy from the problematic candy nun. It's a subject that dates back to the very first episode of the Flopcast... but we're finally back with an update, as well as another ridiculous Flopcast Halloween taste test. Special thanks to Power Salad for providing this week's coffee, which we desperately needed to wash down all that weird (but delicious) nun candy.

Direct download: Flopcast_286.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:47pm EDT

This week we're celebrating 1985 by looking at the top ten songs from 32 years ago (including Tears For Fears, A-ha, and most importantly, "Oh Sheila" by Ready for the World) as well as a book that would eventually become a Tom Hanks movie (and we don't mean Mazes and Monsters). Then Kornflake reports on the Topsfield Fair, where she found an iconic disco act, a swimming pig, and an old friend of the Flopcast. And we get more information about that amazing autographed Love Boat script we received last week, straight from the source: Ed, from the Sponge Awareness Foundation! Also: Some follow-up on our list of robot animals from several weeks ago. (We missed some very important robot animals. Sorry, Bubo.)

Direct download: Flopcast_285.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:32am EDT

Stay angry, Monkees fans! It's time for our annual review of the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! And despite a complete lack of Air Supply, it's not a bad list this year. Find out which acts we're hoping will get in (come on, Cars) and which acts we're not so excited about (sorry, Kate Bush). But we are so excited about the Pointer Sisters. They're not on the list, but they did have a Top 10 song this week back in 1984 -- and since we're celebrating 1984, we review that list too. We also compare 1984 minivans to 1970s creepy vans. Then we end the show with a 1984-themed "What's in the Bag" segment... which turns into one of the most shocking and wonderful moments in the history of the Flopcast. Is Gopher from The Love Boat somehow involved? (Here's a hint: Yes.)

Direct download: Flopcast_284.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate 1983 with a fast car (maybe even faster than KITT) and the top ten songs from 34 years ago this week. (It's a weird mix of new wave, country, rockabilly, hat-free men, and Jim Steinman... so much Jim Steinman...) Also: At Granite State Comicon, we found old friends, artists, costumers, Spice Girls, Beavis, Daria, and drag-hens. (Drag-hens are dragon/chicken hybrids, and they're amazing.) Meanwhile it's almost time for another favorite convention, Super Megafest! It's October 21-22 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and the guest list includes the Bionic Man AND Bionic Woman, stars from Battlestar Galactica and The Flash, comedians, wrestlers... and Paul Soles, who was HERMEY THE ELF in the 1964 Rudolph cartoon! Be there. Plus: At the beginning of the summer, we tried to pick the winning teams for the new Battle of the Network Stars. Now it's time to check the results. Did our strategy of betting on Greg Brady, Daisy Duke, Potsie, Blair, and Tootie pay off? (Here's a hint: No.)

Direct download: Flopcast_283.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:42am EDT

It's a post-DragonCon catch-up show, with concert reports on the Bacon Brothers (we now have zero degrees of separation from the star of Footloose), They Might Be Giants (we celebrated with a whole day of old friends, shuttle buses, and watermelon), and Micky Dolenz (touring without Tork this year, but still delivering all your Monkees favorites). We also have a quick correction from last week's show, and it involves the Hardy Boys and the Partridge Family, as all corrections should. Plus: For National Whatever Day, we're looking back at 1982, including the opening of EPCOT Center (you know you want to ride through a giant golf ball) and the top ten songs from 35 years ago this week (we keep forgettin' how Michael McDonald sounds exactly like Michael McDonald).

Direct download: Flopcast_282.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am EDT

Here we go, kids: The Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake to review our long weird weekend in Atlanta for DragonCon! Featuring: Panels on Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Westworld, Legion, Riverdale, Fantasy Island (!), Detective Chimp (?), and more; The Star Wars Holiday Special (original and puppet show versions); Doctor Who's Matt Smith; the casts of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Birds of Prey; Howard the Duck's big day in court; Fake Adam Savage; RetroBlasting; Wicked Geeky; Yoda; pie; Captains Kangaroo and Crunch; Mighty Magiswords; and the debut of the new book Earth Station One: Tales of the Station Volume 2! (Warning: This book contains a goofy story by Kevin which may or may not feature a space chicken.) We also started DragonCon with some very rainy birdwatching, and ended DragonCon with an amazing Greater Atlanta Chicken Tour. We like to keep things strangely bird-themed. Also: We learn Kornflake's September podcast pick, and we celebrate 1981 with soft rock and Brady Brides. Now we'd better start preparing for DragonCon 2018. See you there, eighty thousand crazy people!

Direct download: Flopcast_281.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:45am EDT

We're still in DragonCon recovery mode around here, but this week we have something special from DragonCon to share with you! "Wonder Woman, at Last!" was Kevin's first panel of the weekend, for the American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media Track. Kevin was joined by panelists Jeni Green, Cammien Ray, Jenna Johnson, and Tyra Burton to discuss the Wonder Woman movie, which we all thought was just, you know, wonderful. (Let's throw a quick SPOILER WARNING right about here. If you haven't seen Wonder Woman yet, you may not want to hear this panel yet. Go see the movie first. You deserve it.) Discussion topics include the movie's cast, the World War 1 setting, the costumes (Functional attire for women in a superhero movie? This is madness!), the brilliance of director Patty Jenkins, the reactions on social media (good and bad), our favorite movie moments, and how in the world to pronounce "Gal Gadot." With a great lineup of panelists and an enthusiastic audience (standing room only!), this was a fine kickoff to DragonCon 2017, and we're thrilled to bring it to you. (If you don't believe us, hit us with your lasso of truth.) Meanwhile back in Chickentown: Since this is episode 280, we're starting a series of ten episodes celebrating each year of the 1980s! (Yes, we've done this before. We're quite predictable.) For the year 1980, Kevin has selected a Saturday morning cartoon about monsters. (See? Predictable.) Kornflake's pick, however, is from the world of sports! (Hey! Unpredictable! First time for everything...)

Direct download: Flopcast_280.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:24pm EDT

Kornflake is looking forward to Locate An Old Friend Day; Kevin is not. But we certainly agree on the awesomeness of the concert we attended recently, at which Kornflake was touched (literally) by Air Supply. This changes everything. We're also thrilled to announce the release of the ESO Network's new book, Earth Station One: Tales of the Station Volume 2! Kevin may have contributed a story to this book, and that story just might involve a chicken. You know you need this. We also look ahead at the upcoming Granite State Comicon, where we hope to locate a few old friends and not lose any more teeth. Next week: Our DragonCon review begins...

Direct download: Flopcast_279.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:53am EDT

It's a little later than usual (sorry, we've been very busy with very stupid things), but here is our sixth annual Flopcast Summer Robot Top 4 1/2 List! Hey, summertime is robot time around here. (We don't remember why... it just is.) And the subject for this year's list is... robot animals! We're listing our favorite robot dogs, robot cats, robot lobsters, and more. (But alas, no robot capybaras. Would some evil robot genius please get to work on that?) And these robots come from TV, music, cartoons, toys, coloring books, and secret government projects. (We may have said too much already.) So while we're still creeping around DragonCon (just in time for Wonderful Weirdos Day), enjoy this goofy little robot show! And feel free to dance, because our robot penguin is set on AUTO-PARTY.

Direct download: Flopcast_278.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It's that time again! Time to panic! Join us as we frantically prepare for the craziest convention on the geek calendar... DragonCon. It promises to be another long, weird, wonderful Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, so let's get ready! The DragonCon guest list includes favorites from TV (Doctor Who's Matt Smith! MST3K's Trace, Frank, and Bill! Almost everybody from Star Trek: The Next Generation! Shatner! A Birds of Prey cast reunion! And more!), movies (Karl Urban! Michael Rooker! Chewbacca! JOHN CUSACK! And more!), music (Paul and Storm! Mikey Mason! Shelley Segal! Tom Smith! And yes, more!), and comics (Stan Lee! Plus a bunch more, but come on, STAN LEE!). Plus scientists, skeptics, writers, wrestlers, puppeteers, podcasters, and 6,000 Harley Quinns! We also run through Kevin's (tentative!) DragonCon schedule, which includes the DragonCon Walking Tour, the ESO Network Meet and Greet, Classic Sci-Fi Court, the Challenge of the Super-Nerds, and panels on Wonder Woman, Riverdale, Fantasy Island (really!), and much more. We're already exhausted. Also this week: We celebrate the Chicken Boy statue of Los Angeles, and Kornflake prepares for They Might Be Giants to invade Massachusetts! And in other podcasting news: Earth Station DCU looks at Batman: Year Three, The Pod of Destiny returns, and Luke and Carrie's Bad Rapport invents the Chicken Game. Okay, find us at DragonCon! Get a Flopcast badge ribbon! And then get out of our way!

Direct download: Flopcast_277.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:29am EDT

While preparing for this week's solar eclipse (with special glasses and coffee milk), Kevin and Kornflake catch up on their latest goofy summer activities, including: The Aquabats and CJ Ramone together in Boston; Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers under the stars at a science museum; Micky Dolenz and Billy West at the Boston SouthCoast Comic Con; Elvis Costello and the Imposters in Providence, Rhode Island; a visit to Alice's Restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts; Petty Morals and Elettrodomestico (with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's!) in Plymouth; and the Retro Futura tour, featuring a heap of classic 80s performers (Katrina, Paul Young, Modern English, English Beat, Men Without Hats, and Howard Jones). Then it's the shocking conclusion of our ten-part High Feather series review! In this week's "Food Follies" episode, our summer campers are singing, dancing, and hiding behind giant vegetables... and perhaps it's for the best that this is the end. Also: The return of Robolar! It's been decades since we last saw our favorite Boston-accented, Earth fruit-chomping Martian from that classic PSA, but now thanks to some friends of the Flopcast, Robolar is back. This is crazy. We're also celebrating the 87th birthday of Sean Connery (you remember him from such films as DragonHeart and Zardoz), and we wrap up this extra-long show with some Chickens in the News, as a giant angry chicken balloon arrives in Washington to join the resistance. Next week, at last: Our DragonCon preview. Get ready.

Direct download: Flopcast_276.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:20pm EDT

As we creep ever closer to DragonCon, we're celebrating National Badge Ribbon Day. (And yes, we'll have our ridiculous Flopcast badge ribbons at DragonCon, available for the very reasonable price of one human soul.) We also take another trip into the Pudding Pages, and learn of a shocking pudding-themed incident in Kornflake's past. And then, of course, we look at High Feather episode 9, featuring chocolate-covered tennis players, jelly sandwiches, and a little dog named Scruffy. Just one more High Feather episode to go, kids! Then we can all get on with our lives.

Direct download: Flopcast_275.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:50am EDT

Another goofy little summer show this week: We're celebrating Duran Duran Appreciation Day (despite being kicked out of the Union of the Snake years ago); Kornflake recommends My So Called Podcast (it's 90s-themed!); we play a long overdue round of The Pudding Pages (also 90s-themed, possibly Newsies-themed); we look at High Feather episode 8, in which the kids go to the county fair with a Micky Dolenz look-alike ne'er-do-well; and we learn that Kornflake once spent a week at Yogi Bear camp, where presumably the main activity is picnic basket theft, and the dress code is hats, ties, and collars only.

Direct download: Flopcast_274.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:40am EDT

It's a summertime catch up episode, before we completely shift into frantic get-ready-for-DragonCon mode! Discussed this week: Spider-Man Homecoming (they made another Kornflake-friendly superhero movie!), a Pink Floyd tribute show from Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers (called "The Blonde Side of the Moon," of course), TV Guidance Counselor live at Philly Podfest (you know we're always up for a crazy road trip), an online concert by Marc With a C (including an obscure Monkees cover, which we always appreciate), the Everyday Ethics podcast (Kornflake's podcast pick for July), and the dangers of singing in rounds (just don't risk it, kids). Also: Episode 7 of High Feather! Yes, we're still doing this. Sorry.

Direct download: Flopcast_273.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:11am EDT

We're gonna need a bigger podcast, because we're celebrating Shark Week with a ridiculous shark-themed Top 4 1/2 List! We have shark cartoons, shark TV shows, shark songs, shark candy, and perhaps even a real live shark. We also look at episode 6 of High Feather, in which our goofy summer campers get lost in the woods, end up at a scary farm, and meet a bunch of cows and chickens (but alas, no sharks). So has the Flopcast finally jumped the shark? If next week's show is hosted by Ted McGinley, you'll have your answer.

Direct download: Flopcast_272.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:43am EDT

We're back from Minnesota with a full report on CONvergence, an annual gathering of awesome crazy people who are really into convention badge ribbons. (We may have given out more Flopcast ribbons this year than ever before! It's the boldest fashion accessory of the season.) Our report features: Convention panels (on podcasting, Flash Gordon, Jack Kirby, Legends of Tomorrow, and the Star Wars Holiday Special), performances (from Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters, Karl Brown, Joseph Scrimshaw, and the Nerdlesque dancers), birds and snakes (from the Raptor Center and the Herpetological Society), life on Mars (hello, Robolar), an amazing Bea Arthur costume, and a field trip to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to visit a giant blue chicken. Meanwhile, Kornflake survived a dark and stormy night at Fenway Park, where she partied like it's 1991 with Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, and her beloved New Kids on the Block. Also: We reach the halfway point in our High Feather series review with episode 5, featuring more summer camp ceramic mug-making action than you can possibly handle. And it's World Emoji Day. But instead of sending little smiley faces to your stupid friends, just send a turxt.

Direct download: Flopcast_271.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:22am EDT

Our excruciating all-summer-long review of High Feather continues! In High Feather episode 4, the kids publish the camp newspaper (using incredible technology like mimeograph machines and typewriters), and we learn a goofy apple-picking song too. (How did this show not sweep the Emmy Awards?) It's also National Gummy Worm Day, which makes us ponder the existence of gummy skinks (because creepy lizards just make everything better). And we review the list of celebrity contestants on the new Battle of the Network Stars, a revival of the classic (and ridiculous) Howard Cosell-hosted show from the 70s and 80s. The new show promises to be ridiculous too, but the players include Greg Brady, Danny Partridge, Daisy Duke, the Incredible Hulk, Isaac the Bartender, Electra Woman, and a couple of Facts of Life girls. So yeah, they have our attention, even if this is seriously cutting into our High Feather time. Next week: We'll be back from CONvergence! Hopefully!

Direct download: Flopcast_270.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Kornflake tells us about Boom Box Parade Day (probably the biggest American holiday celebrated on July 4th), so stock up on D batteries and take to the streets. Meanwhile, Kevin and Kornflake's recent activities include a trip to Vermont (featuring frogs, whistlepigs, and cheap CDs), a trip to New Hampshire (featuring wine, painting, and the music of Eddie Rabbitt), and live shows from Joan Osborne, Rifftrax, and The Great Molasses Flood. Then it's time to review High Feather episode 3, in which we learn that you can eat all the Hostess Cupcakes you want, as long as you're the Six Million Dollar Man. (These High Feather health tips just keep getting weirder.) Also: You can find Kevin on a couple of other podcasts this week: The Batcave Podcast (for a tribute to Adam West) and Earth Station One (for an ESO book club discussion of Watchmen). Now we're off to Minnesota, and we're bringing turkey ribbons. See you at CONvergence.

Direct download: Flopcast_269.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:11am EDT

Meteor Day is this week, and it's a painful reminder that we can never remember which ones are meteors, which are meteorites, and which are meteoroids. (There must be a better way. Let's just call them all meat-balls.) Meanwhile our summer-long review of High Feather (a forgotten TV series about summer camp) continues with a look at episode 2, featuring ceramic snakes, pickleball, Cookie Crisp, a carrot cake song, and a disturbing ritual known as "Frenching the bed." We also look ahead at one of our favorite conventions: CONvergence is July 6-9 in Bloomington, Minnesota! Kevin will be appearing on several panels there, on subjects including comic books, podcasting, the Flash Gordon movie, and yes, the Star Wars Holiday Special. (We're celebrating Life Day in July this year. Deal with it.) And in our "What's in the Bag?" segment, we reveal the fabulous prizes we'll be handing out at CONvergence, FlopFest, and beyond. (Here's a hint: They're sort of stupid.)

Direct download: Flopcast_268.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:03am EDT

Flopcast listeners follow up on last week's turtle list with some favorite turtles of their own (yikes, we missed some good ones); Kornflake attends a Jim's Big Ego house concert along with her close personal friend Mr. Peanut; we loved the new Wonder Woman movie, even though the invisible plane was missing (or was it?); and it's Hike With a Geek Day, but we're encouraging geeks everywhere to stay inside and watch High Feather. Yes, we're starting our summer-long review of High Feather, an obscure 1980 educational TV series about kids at summer camp. You probably missed it, but this is your big chance, because the Mayor of Chickentown has set up a High Feather playlist on our new Flopcast YouTube channel! Now you have no need to leave the house all summer long. You're welcome.

Direct download: Flopcast_267.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It's mostly turtle talk this week, kids -- join us for a Top 4 1/2 List of our favorite turtles! The list includes a ninja turtle or two, of course, as well as some slightly lesser known turtles from animation, comic books, music, movies, literature, and perhaps even the real world. (Oh, they're out there. And they're coming right at you. Very slowly.) Also: Since we've hit another episode number that ends in 66, we must again recommend the movie Life on the V: The Story of V66! (For 80s music nerds like us, this is required viewing.) Plus: It's National Eat Your Vegetables Day, which somehow inspired us to start a High Feather viewing club! Watch High Feather episode 1 this week, and we'll discuss it next week. (If you don't remember High Feather, that's okay. No one remembers High Feather. Watch it anyway.) Meanwhile, if we missed your favorite turtle, let us know! Or just tell a turtle; it will get the message to us. Very slowly.

Direct download: Flopcast_266.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:32am EDT

It's a mostly music-themed little show this week, with quick concert reports on Ben Folds (with the Boston Pops), Petty Morals, Go Betty Go, and The Dollyrots. We also recommend the new album from comedy band Power Salad, fail to attend an a capella festival (which is probably for the best), and create the perfect soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (you're welcome, Hollywood). Plus: In honor of Toy Industry Association Day, we recall our favorite toy stores of the past. (If anyone wants to time travel back to 1977 and pick up some Mego Teen Titans dolls at Child World, we'll gladly pay retail. Don't forget Aqualad.)

Direct download: Flopcast_265.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:49am EDT

We have an unusual show this week, and needless to say, it involves Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Years ago, we rescued a weird old book from a Woonsocket library book sale. It's called "My Private Life: A Personal Record For the Teen Years"... and this copy was actually filled in, by an actual teen, way back in 1966. Now don't worry; despite the title, there's nothing really private in it. But it does offer a fun glimpse at the life of a junior high student we'll call Joyce (not her real name) half a century ago. (The short version: Joyce was into horses, bell bottoms, horses, Batman, the Dave Clark Five, and horses.) Also: Kornflake recommends Pod Casserole (another fine show right here on the ESO Network), and the people of Fruita, Colorado are celebrating Miracle Mike the Headless Chicken. (If only Mike had kept a diary too...)

Direct download: Flopcast_264.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:33am EDT

Kornflake celebrates National Title Track Day with another goofy Flopcast game, in which we must identify album title tracks. (It would have been so much easier if we only used Air Supply songs.) Then Kevin reports on Boston's Women in Comedy Festival, with shows featuring our own Niki Luparelli, comedy music duo Abbaria, Second City's Kirsten Rasmussen, SNL's Sasheer Zamata, and more. We also discuss recent Boston-area concerts by Aimee Mann and Jonathan Coulton, Catie Curtis... and Midnight Oil. (Yikes, we need Midnight Oil now more than ever. As you may have noticed, our beds are still burning.) Plus: One of our favorite "What's in the Bag" segments ever, because the bag itself is awesome, its contents involve strange animals and a classic 80s cartoon, and now we have the power.

Direct download: Flopcast_263.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:14am EDT

Yes, our goofy little podcast is five years old this week, so we're celebrating, as expected, with coffee and more coffee. But we're also looking back at all our amazing guests (yikes, for a show that doesn't have a lot of guests, we've had a lot of guests) and beloved Flopcast segments. (We run through just about every subject ever covered in our Top 4 1/2 List, Pudding Pages, Chickens in the News, and What's in the Bag segments. It's a long, weird list. Get comfortable.) So hey, thanks for listening! We assure you, the next five years will be just as stupid.

Direct download: Flopcast_262.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:46am EDT

Kornflake is out sick this week, so the Mayor of Chickentown is filling in as special guest host. And with nothing better to do, we decided to play another stupid game. Yes, this is the 1970s version of that 1980s movie game we invented just a few weeks back. And yikes, the 70s and the 80s were two very different decades in film. (The 70s were much creepier, and suffered from a severe lack of Molly Ringwald.) So join us as Kevin and the Mayor try to guess each other's favorite movies from each year of the 1970s. There were some obvious picks from Lucas and Spielberg, as well as musicals, cartoons, disaster movies, obscure horror movies about frogs, and anything with Jackie Earle Haley. Will the 70s game make Kevin as crazy and frustrated as the 80s game? Let's hope so. And worry not; Kornflake shall return next week, as we celebrate five ridiculous years of the Flopcast. (If you listen carefully, you'll even hear Kornflake on this week's show, because Kornflake cannot be stopped.)

Direct download: Flopcast_261.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:53pm EDT

You asked for more Flopcast Top 4 1/2 Lists, and as long as you don't mind the topics getting stupider, we shall deliver. This week, for example, we're counting down our favorite Eds and/or Eddies. (Hey, you were warned.) Get ready for a bunch of Eds and Eddies from sitcoms, movies, Top 40 radio, and more. (Warning: Both Ed Grimley and Eddie Munster somehow didn't make the list, and we're not happy about it either. Some tough choices had to be made, but hopefully we'll all come out a little stronger on the other side.) Also: Free Comic Book Day, a secret chicken project, and carrots. (Warning: Do not leave the carrots unattended around Eddie Rabbitt.)

Direct download: Flopcast_260.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45pm EDT

We're sleepy and confused as usual, but we're back with a quick silly report from Super Megafest! It's one of our favorite local conventions, and we ran into many of our favorite local nerds. We also ran into WKRP in Cincinnati's Loni Anderson, Flash Gordon's Sam Jones... and yes, Greg Brady himself, the one and only Barry Williams. (To prepare emotionally for this moment, we've been listening to Barry's amazing album "The Return of Johnny Bravo" all week. The suit still fits.) Also: Why we didn't run the Boston Marathon, the new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a "What's in the Bag" segment featuring Canadian dinosaurs, and how to celebrate New Kids on the Block Day. But never mind all that. We finally met a Brady. It truly is a sunshine day.

Direct download: Flopcast_259.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44am EDT

Ready for a stupid game? Kevin and Kornflake have each compiled a list of their favorite movies for each year of the 1980s (which, according to scientists, is the only decade that really matters). Now it's time to learn which of your Flopcast hosts knows more about the other, as we attempt to guess each other's choices, year by awesome year. And this is a high-stakes competition: the winner gets more coffee. (Yeah, we were both going to have more coffee anyway... but it's still an amazing prize. We like coffee.) And it's a fun list; you can expect lots of Disney, lots of Brat Pack... and a shocking amount of Corey Feldman. And hey, send us your own list of 80s favorites! We probably missed some good ones, especially if they didn't have any Coreys. Also: An actor who appeared in many of the biggest movies of the 80s is turning 80 this week! (Over the years, he worked with the Monkees, he fought with Batman, and he was a werewolf. But he'll never be a Corey.)

Direct download: Flopcast_258.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:51am EDT

This week the Mayor of Chickentown joins Kornflake for a Top 4 1/2 List of pop culture catchphrases! (Kevin could not be bothered to prepare a list. Hey, someone has to sip coffee and make sarcastic comments. That's important too.) So we cover a bunch of the goofy catchphrases (from sitcoms, cartoons, and more) that have been trapped in our poor brains for the last few decades. Maybe they're fun, or maybe they're super-annoying, but they're here, and we just have to deal with them. (And yes, Mr. T is represented. We could have stayed on Mr. T for the whole list...) So enjoy the show, and remember to scream "It's Turkey Time!" at everyone you see, all the time, from now on. We're sort of trying to start a new catchphrase.

Direct download: Flopcast_257.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:18am EDT

Thanks to an annoying springtime snowstorm, Kornflake cannot get to Chickentown Studios! So we're on Skype for this week's show... which means Kevin gets all the coffee. But we do have a couple of goofy concert reports, because Kornflake won Dar Williams tickets from a college radio station, while Kevin attended a benefit show with Belly, Nada Surf, Juliana Hatfield, Evan Dando, and more. (Sometimes you just have to party like it's 1995.) And because we tend to get everything wrong, we have a bunch of corrections from recent Flopcast episodes, on very important subjects like Donkey Kong, Flash Gordon, and skinks. Also: April 4th is World Rat Day! Now when it comes to rodents, the capybara will always be our favorite. But sure, let the rats have their big day. Especially if Patton Oswalt agrees to do all their voices.

Direct download: Flopcast_256.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:28am EDT

Here in miserable freezing Massachusetts, a knitting club is making tiny sweaters for chickens. (Yes, this is our kind of news item.) But this week we're also celebrating funny women (for She's Funny That Way Day), discussing Planters Cheez Balls (because they're tasty and weird and really good for you), and looking forward to the upcoming Super Megafest convention (April 7-9 in Marlborough, Massachusetts -- hopefully the weather will be more chicken-friendly by then). Super Megafest's guests include stars from Smallville, I Dream of Jeannie, WKRP in Cincinnati, Star Trek, The Outsiders... and a certain sitcom legend who has us absolutely terrified. Also: For some reason, we can't stop talking about Mr. Peanut. Maybe it's the monocle.

Direct download: Flopcast_255.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:19am EDT

Kornflake is back from Minnesota with a full report on MarsCon, which featured performances by: Carrie Dahlby, the great Luke Ski, Mikey Mason, Devo Spice, Marc with a C, Power Salad, Insane Ian, the Library Bards, and Guest of Honor Judy Tenuta! Plus: Dementia Smackdown Wrestling, Kyle and Luke Talk About Toons, the Space Oddity Music Club and Brew Pub, Klingons, karaoke, and a chicken! And yes, Kornflake found a way to terrify the hotel staff while preparing for her Dementia Water Aerobics class. We also play a round of What's in the Bag, celebrate Swedish waffles, and get Kevin's report from Northeast Comic Con, featuring Adam West and Burt Ward in the middle of an abandoned department store. So it was a busy week. Next week we're staying home.

Direct download: Flopcast_254.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

Although they're not Air Supply, we're still excited about the upcoming reunion tour by another great Australian band, Midnight Oil. (Hey, Air Supply and Midnight Oil should tour together! And Men at Work too! We'll bring the Vegemite sandwiches.) However, acquiring Midnight Oil tickets has been tricky. (Who knew there would be this much demand to see a giant screaming bald dude from down under? We thought it was just us.) Anyway, this week we're recalling how we used to get concert tickets back in the pre-internet era. Remember calling the box office a billion times (and getting nothing but busy signals)? Trying to win radio contests? (Be the 92nd caller next time we play Wang Chung!) Lining up at dawn outside a record store with hundreds of annoying crazy people? What fun... These days, of course, we're all just online, clicking little boxes, desperately trying to convince Ticketmaster that we're not robots. (As far as they know...) Also: Kornflake's March podcast recommendation is Manic Mondays, hosted by our pal Devo Spice! And it's International Ask a Question Day! (We're thankful for the "international" part, because most of our questions involve Vegemite.)

Direct download: Flopcast_253.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:26am EDT

The Mayor of Chickentown returns with a report from the Los Angeles Doctor Who convention known as Gallifrey One, where she found the original K9 robot dog (and yeah, some robot mummies), but did not find the great Luke Ski (or pants). Meanwhile Kevin breaks his vow never to leave the house again, first to butcher a Men at Work song at karaoke, and then to play Tron at a crazy little movie theater hidden deep inside an ancient mill. But when we're done with Tron, Kornflake suggests we play Mario Brothers, because Mario Day is this week! (Time to hang that Mario Lopez poster in your locker again...) Also: Our friends at the Foxes in the Hen House podcast just released their annual romantic fan fiction episode. It's hilarious, and we just might have suggested one of the ridiculous characters involved...

Direct download: Flopcast_252.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am EDT

We know you've all been wondering what we would do for our big milestone episode 251 celebration... and the answer is... not much! But this is still a fun little show with several classic Flopcast segments: National Whatever Day (which involves flowers and strippers, as all days should), What's in the Bag (it's something festive and delicious and 251-themed), and Chickens in the News (lock up your giant concrete hens; those chicken statue thieves have struck again). We also flip through a big stack of 251 comic books (trust us, it's a weird collection), and run through a list of sitcoms with at least 251 episodes. (The Simpsons is way out in front with over 600 episodes, while another old favorite, The Jeffersons, just barely makes the cut. But when it comes to wacky neighbors, we'll still take Mr. Bentley over Flanders.) So thanks for joining us, stick around for our next 251 episodes, and we'll see you at the big 502 celebration...

Direct download: Flopcast_251.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am EDT

Kevin returns to his old stomping grounds of Woonsocket, Rhode Island for a frighteningly close encounter with 1980s pop icon (and our personal hair hero) Richard Marx. (Yes, he was right there waiting, and yes, we should've known better... yikes, these Richard Marx references are becoming something of a hazard... 'twas a great concert nevertheless.) Not knowing when to quit, Kevin then makes a second visit to Rhode Island, this time to see The Mads (that is, Mystery Science Theater 3000's Frank and Trace, who brought along a goofy old movie, believe it or not). And along the way, we just might run into a member of our favorite synthpop band, and discover the Golden Chicken award. Meanwhile, Kornflake has her latest podcast recommendation (featuring science, and grit, and barking people), and teaches us about Single Tasking Day. (Single tasking is way more effective than multi-tasking -- especially if, like us, you lack the wisdom of a wombat.)

Direct download: Flopcast_250.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:36pm EDT

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.)

Direct download: Flopcast_249.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:42am EDT

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...)

Direct download: Flopcast_248.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:18am EDT

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...

Direct download: Flopcast_247.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:08am EDT

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.

Direct download: Flopcast_246.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:45pm EDT

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.

Direct download: Flopcast_245.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:37am EDT

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.)

Direct download: Flopcast_244.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:55am EDT

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.

Direct download: Flopcast_243.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:27am EDT

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