Shows
Kevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 708: Amanda Runs This Town
Flopcast episode 708! Before we plunge into weeks of holiday silliness, here’s something different for you! Five years ago, our friend Amanda decided to run at least one mile in each of the 351 towns and cities that make up Massachusetts. A month ago, she finished. And she’s here to tell us all about the whole project. Including: Covered bridges, waterfalls, murder roads, World War II bunkers, Jaws filming sites, an alleged UFO encounter site, Myles Standish’s legs, a chicken with a backpack, sweaty women on a bus, and much more. It all wrapped up in the geographic center...
2025-12-0145 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 707: Holiday Torso Mishaps
Flopcast episode 707! As we creep into the holidays, once again we’re looking back at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades of the past. (Debbie Gibson is scheduled to perform at this year’s parade, so you should all be road-tripping to Manhattan RIGHT NOW.) We start with the 2015 parade (featuring that top-hatted honey-roasted freak, Mr. Peanut), then keep jumping back ten years at a time, all the way to the premiere of the Underdog balloon in 1965. (Underdog has been watching us from above ever since, and he is most displeased.) Along the way, we’ll meet some of our favorite...
2025-11-2537 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 706: This Girl Loves Her Air Supply
Flopcast episode 706! When our favorite 1980s soft rock band comes to the town where we spent the 1980s, you know we’ll be there. And so Kevin has a report from the sold out Air Supply concert at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, Rhode Island! (We were front row center. Close enough to catch an official Air Supply guitar pick? You bet.) Also: The Mayor of Chickentown joins the Early Birds Club! Kevin accidentally runs a half marathon! And Finnish nannies sing Badfinger! Next week we’ll have some holiday stuff. This week we’re just being goofy.
#eso...
2025-11-1825 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 705: Flopless in Seattle
Flopcast episode 705! We’re back with our full report on the city of Seattle, which turned out to be way over on the other side of the continent. (Probably should have packed a bag or something…) How many weird and silly activities could we squish into just a few days out west? Let’s find out. Including: Retro-futuristic fun at the Space Needle! A robot on the monorail! Angry otters at the aquarium! A massive collection of nerd stuff at the Museum of Pop Culture! Giant trolls! A visit to Archie McPhee’s Rubber Chicken Museum! A visit to filming...
2025-11-1136 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 704: Dopey and Soapy
Flopcast episode 704! It’s been about a year since we killed a whole episode flipping through an issue of Dynamite, that classic magazine for kids of the 70s and 80s, so let’s do it. We have an issue from 1976 (compliments of Chris from Sci Fi Explosion!) and on the cover are America’s favorite toothy Mormons, Donny and Marie Osmond! Also in this issue: Fashion tips direct from Medford, Massachusetts; an Elton John pinball machine; a remarkable new gadget called the Betamax; the adventures of the Dynamite Duo and their new superhero pal, Jive Turkey; Magic Wanda in her pa...
2025-11-0232 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 703: Wookiee Torso
Flopcast episode 703! For our Halloween episode, we’re revisiting a favorite subject: the cheapo department store Halloween costumes produced for decades by the Ben Cooper company. Kids loved slipping into their uncomfortable plastic masks and weird vinyl smocks for an evening of begging the neighbors for Twix bars. We look at superhero costumes (including some odd ones like Web Woman), Krofft costumes (you could be a Sleestak, a Bugaloo, or even Dr. Shrinker), and lots more, including the infamous Fonzie “He-e-y!” costume. Also: The classic Universal monster movies! A brilliant new monster t-shirt from cartoonist Kerry Callen! And the new Mu...
2025-10-2835 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 702: Weather Bird Treasure Bird
Flopcast episode 702! We’re back from a quick visit to Albany, New York, where Kevin ran a half marathon (finishing in 309th place, probably not qualifying for the Olympics) and learned the shocking truth about Alice from The Brady Bunch. Now here in Chickentown, we’re looking at an odd 1959 comic book called Weather-Bird. It stars a chicken and a goat, and the whole thing is a promotional gimmick to sell children’s shoes. We love it. And we were reminded of some other weird comic book shoe ads. Several 1970s ads star a shoe-themed superhero called the AAU Shuper...
2025-10-2037 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 701: Super Wicked Awesome
Flopcast episode 701! It’s no secret that we’re rather obsessed with the 80s around here, so this week we’re chatting with author Debby Meltzer Quick. Debby’s first novel (the first of several!) is May I Have Your Attention Please, a mid-80s high school romance set in Eastboro, Massachusetts. Kevin and Debby discuss the novel itself, how much pop culture nostalgia to include in a story, how to draw from one’s own life without getting too autobiographical, and much more. Including: 80s movies both well-remembered (The Breakfast Club) and largely forgotten (Give My Regards to Broad Stre...
2025-10-1345 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 700: Flop Like the Wind
Flopcast episode 700! We didn’t make any big plans for our big 700th episode, because that would have required effort, which is frowned upon around here. Instead we have a hastily assembled pile of random stuff, just for you. Including: Our ongoing cluelessness about Buc-ee’s! An update on our favorite Bugaloo from Dragon Con! The 700th biggest song of the 1980s (according to our Ranking the 80s book)! The 700th biggest movie of all time (according to some list we found)! The upcoming Jukebox Thrillers anthology of 80s music-inspired short stories! And a Chickens in the News segment abou...
2025-10-0533 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 699: Dragon Con Review Part 3 – Chicken Grease
Flopcast episode 699! Our Dragon Con review finally concludes, just in time for us to get ready for next year’s Dragon Con. We’re looking at the last two days of the convention, including: Muppet talk with Muppet performers/designers Bill Barretta, Kevin Clash, Bonnie Erickson, and Dave Goelz! Actual trick-or-treating in the American Sci-Fi Classics Track room at Halloween Con! The science of Severance (it seems like a good idea)! Our British New Wave panel (with nary a Duran in sight, alas)! Our Hollywood Hits the Arcade panel (during which Joy Sticks was finally recognized as a cinematic mast...
2025-09-3047 minKevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 698: Dragon Con Review Part 2 – Misfits of Science Fiction
Flopcast episode 698! Our coverage of Dragon Con (Atlanta’s massive Labor Day weekend nerd convention) continues! Thrill to every single weird thing we did on Friday and Saturday! Including: The Geek Girls Run! The Muppet Mayhem tournament! The return of the Music Video Book Club (during which Carly Simon hooked up with Sico the Robot)! Fantastic Four cartoons with Chris from Sci-Fi Explosion! The return of Classic Sci-Fi Court (during which Kevin defended a lost Justice League TV pilot)! ESO’s Misfits of Science Fiction TV 1985 presentation (basically an excuse to make Courteney Cox badge ribbons)! The Mayor’s Severa...
2025-09-211h 06Kevin Eldridge, Author at The ESO NetworkFlopcast 697: Dragon Con Review Part 1 – Potatoes
Flopcast episode 697! Here we go with the first of three (yikes, let’s hope it’s just three) episodes reviewing everything we did at Dragon Con, the ultimate gathering of geeks over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta. Including: A visit to the Center for Puppetry Arts, where we found members of Emmet Otter’s Jug Band and the Riverbottom Nightmare Band! Turtles and Muscovy ducks at Piedmont Park! All our weird friends from the American Sci-Fi Classics Track! Our guided tour for new Dragon Con attendees, during which we were secretly recorded for nefarious purposes! Dangerous fake Oreos! Classic arcade...
2025-09-1446 min
The FlopcastSummer BlorgsWith a free week before we start like eight months of nonstop Dragon Con coverage, Kevin and the Mayor are trying something new: We're recording the show from outside Chickentown Studios, in the great and filthy outdoors. Hopefully this will provide a more festive summertime atmosphere, until the mosquitoes and bats and angry villagers show up. So with nothing better to do until a search party arrives, we offer a couple of new movie reviews (Superman and Fantastic Four), recommend a TV show or two, and plug Kevin's recent guest appearance on the EnterpriseSplaining podcast. And that's it! Next...
2025-08-1028 min
Luke Ski's Animation & Stuff Podcast5 - Back to the Shack - Kevin EldridgeOur June episode is Part 2 of a Podcasting Crossover Spectacular! Part one took place over on "The Flopcast" Episode #686, hosted by Kevin Eldridge, where I was his guest and we extensively discussed 'Movie Title Songs'. Part 2 is right here in Episode #5 where Kevin is my guest, and we discuss an even more specific niche topic: Songs specifically created to promote Dan Aykroyd movies. There's more of them than you think. I also finally get around to reading listener COMMENTS from Episodes 1, 2, & 3, and talk about miscellaneous animated TV shows and movies that have come out over the past year, and ask...
2025-06-302h 17The FlopcastA Camcorder and a DreamWe're just diving into the bizarre world of Rhode Island cable access television of the 80s and 90s. And our special returning guest is Kevin Cafferty! Kevin was there, and remembers it all. If you were anywhere near the Ocean State back in the day, you never knew what you'd find on local cable TV, but you knew it would freak you out. Including: awkward talk shows, befuddling children's shows, ultra-low-budget sketch comedy, backyard wrestling, high school dances, karaoke direct from Woonsocket, the intense legal drama of Providence traffic court, the Star Trek fan show we loved more than...
2025-03-091h 00
The Dragon Con ReportThe 2024 Dragon Con Report Episode 8Surprise! A special edition to this year's DCR
A project near and dear to our hearts here, The Dragon Tales Anthology: Stories, essays, memories, etc. all celebrating the con we love. This book is not officially associated with Dragon Con. This is purely an independent production. Published by New Legend Books edited by Michael Gordon.
A benefit project with proceeds going to two great charities in honor of two great gentle souls:
American Heart Association - Thom Trainor
Lost N Found Youth - Darren Nowell
The theme of the anthology...
2024-08-141h 15The FlopcastDragon Con Review Part 3 - Gorilla NoisesOkay, let's wrap up our coverage of Dragon Con 2023! (Because come on, if this recap goes on much longer, we'll have to include Dragon Con 2024...) Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown (reporting from Maine in the middle of a hurricane) are here to run through every crazy thing that happened over the last two days of the convention. Including: Bionic fun with Lindsay Wagner and Lee Majors, the Battle of the Mad Scientists, the Battle of the Fictional Bands, Christmas Con (with Robot Santa and horrifying holiday Spam), an ALF script reading (with Chris from Sci-Fi Explosion as ALF...
2023-09-241h 06
UPPERROOM FRISCO Podcast► Live A Life Worthy Of Your Calling || Kevin EldridgeKevin Eldridge reminds us that our calling as believers is to be sons and daughters.7/2/23 Sunday AM
2023-07-0244 minThe FlopcastSoggy TacosFor just the second time in three horrifying years, Kevin and Kornflake are together in the same place for the Flopcast! And that place is... a hotel room in New Hampshire! (This is Kornflake's home state, and that explains A LOT.) To celebrate, we're learning some weird New Hampshire facts involving UFOs, old libraries, state songs, and a shopping mall where Kornflake may have gone to college. We also go through a list of famous people from New Hampshire, including three SNL cast members and someone who witnessed Kevin's terrible old Spam-juggling act. Finally Kornflake breaks out some giant...
2023-05-0730 minThe FlopcastThe Weird Al Game Part 1 - No MercyWe've had "Weird Al" Yankovic on our minds lately, probably because Kevin just participated in an American Sci-Fi Classics panel all about Al. (Check it out! We have a YouTube link just for you.) So we just invented The Weird Al Game, in which Kevin and Kornflake try to guess each other's favorite Weird Al songs. This week we're covering Al's first seven albums. Does Kornflake want a new duck? Will Kevin visit the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota? Join us as we dare to be stupid. (Admittedly, that's business as usual around here...) Also: Kornflake is celebrating...
2023-01-2941 minThe FlopcastArisia 2023 - Let Them Eat AntsWe are back from Arisia, Boston's annual convention of science fiction, fantasy, and general geekery. So here's our full report, including Kevin's comic book panels (on comic book memoirs and the history of Image Comics), the Mayor of Chickentown's Age and Fandom panel, and our pal Kevin Cafferty's Year in TV and Year in Star Wars panels! Also: The Post Meridian Radio Players with another fine genderswap Star Trek show! (We are big fans of Captain Jane T. Kirk.) The Geeky Belly Dance Show! The Masquerade! Our favorite costumes! (Our favorite costumes involved lobsters and anteaters, of course.) And...
2023-01-2231 min
The Dragon Con ReportThe 2022 Dragon Con Report Episode 5There are now less than 100 days until Dragon Con, the ultimate convention for fans by fans. Mike, Mike, Darren, Jen, and Sue discuss the latest news and Kevin Eldridge joins them for a frank discussion on participating on panels aimed to explore and improve folks' fandom in amazing new ways. It's everything you always wanted to know about fan panels (but were afraid to ask)
We want to hear from you! Please email us at feedback@dragonconreport.com and subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, or wherever...
2022-05-311h 33The FlopcastOne Giant SkeletonWhile Kevin relaxes in the background making sarcastic comments, Kornflake presents a Top 4 1/2 List of weird superheroes! Including: a rejected Legionnaire (even goofier than Chlorophyll Kid), a Perhapanaut, a Mystery Man, an Aquabat, and more. Along the way Kevin chimes in with Captains Carrot and Marvel (Split!), as well as Turnipman (a hero so obscure he was invented by us). Not weird enough for you? Well, it's also Global Running Day, and Kornflake is running through the ocean. Aquaman is not amused. Kevin and John are back discussing Electra Woman and Dyna Girl on the Batcave Podcast!
2022-05-3027 minThe FlopcastWeirder and WeirderKevin and Kornflake have concert reports from two different "Weird Al" Yankovic concerts! (That's right, we actually left the house. Still a rare event these days...) This is Weird Al's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, with a constantly changing set list of obscure album tracks, so we saw two very different shows. Included in our reports: The remarkable Emo Phillips opens the show by making fun of a Flopcast guest; Weird Al has his own brand of coffee (and so does Green Day); Kornflake has her own row of seats, plus the best parking space in New Hampshire; Kevin...
2022-05-2237 minThe FlopcastYou Sleepy PodcasterAfter a too-long break from the show, the Mayor of Chickentown is back as our special guest co-host! (It's more court-ordered community service, we assume.) We start with a look at the recently-announced 2022 inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (We're happy about Lionel, Dolly, Pat Benatar, and all those Durans. On the other hand, still no 38 Special, but we can dream...) Then Kevin reports on this year's Watch City Steampunk Festival, where amongst all the geared and goggled humans, we found old friends Jessica, Sergio, and Panda! (Jessica gave a stunning performance as festival queen, she...
2022-05-0939 minThe FlopcastWe Are the Woo Girls - Our Holiday Crossover SpectacularIt's our final show of 2021! So we're just relaxing and looking back on another ridiculous year of Flopcasting. (Yikes, we spent a lot of time obsessing over The Facts of Life. And we're not quite done.) But we also have a couple of special guests, because this is our second annual holiday crossover with Brittany and Martha of But First, Let's Talk Nerdy! Kevin is on their show this week (BFLTN episode 64) discussing favorite Christmas songs. (Spoiler: It gets silly.) Meanwhile Brittany and Martha are here on The Flopcast talking about Christmas in Las Vegas, Mariah vs. Wham, Hermey...
2021-12-2653 minThe FlopcastHave Yourself a Merry Little ChickenEvery year we're bombarded with dozens more ridiculous (and nearly identical) Christmas movies from Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, etc. It's a never-ending parade of big city ladies back in their quaint little home towns for the holidays, dealing with awkward high school reunions, struggling family businesses, lame Christmas pageants, secret cookie recipes, the occasional prince or princess, country music stars, miscellaneous Brady Bunch cast members, and handsome dudes in flannel who work at the local tinsel factory or whatever. Just can't take it anymore? Worry not. The Flopcast is here to save Christmas. We're taking these Christmas movies and randomly...
2021-12-1942 min
On Scene First with Tracy EldridgeOn Scene First Ep. 25: Kevin Konczal, Former Police OfficerWelcome to Episode 25: I am wicked excited for today's guest Kevin Konczal, Kevin is a veteran Police officer who experienced a fatal officer-involved shooting, just 6 weeks into his career Join us as we chat about the mental health consequences and how he worked through his Post-traumatic stress. Kevin may no longer be serving from the field, but he is still serving those in it.
Thank you to our premier sponsor RapidSOS, for more information on how you can become RapidSOS Ready and connect to the world's first Emergency Response Data Platform visit RapidSOS today and tell them Tracy sent you.
2021-12-1353 minThe FlopcastThe Backs of Life 6 - GraduationWe just can't stop reviewing "backdoor pilot" episodes of The Facts of Life, so here we go again. This time Blair and Jo are graduating from Eastland, and perhaps this could have led to a spinoff series set at nearby Langley College. It didn't, of course, but it's still a fun two-part episode. We meet several new girls: Alexandra could have been a new Blair-type character at Eastland, while the graduating Emily, Bonnie, and Lisa could have joined a new cast at Langley. (For Lisa, life is a series of shoe problems. She could have become the most psychologically...
2021-10-1739 minThe FlopcastMy Home Is Not In WoonsocketOur friend Kevin Cafferty is back for a Top 4 1/2 List dedicated to our favorite weird city: Woonsocket, Rhode Island! Both Kevin and Kevin (lot of Kevins on the show this week) spent way too much time in Woonsocket back in the 80s, and remember it all too well. Our conversation includes: Fine Woonsocket dining (weiners and coffee milk, fish and chips, egg rolls and jazz), movies at the Stadium Theatre and Cinemas 1-2-3 (and 4), thrift shopping at the flea market and Joe's Moldy Oldies, Pac-Man at Pizza Hut, Donkey Kong Junior at Social Donut, crazy Rhode Island cable...
2021-10-031h 04The FlopcastMuffins for HeatmiserAs a follow-up to our recent look at the Boston music scene of the 80s, let's move on to the 90s! And let's also move slightly south, to Rhode Island! (State motto: We're tiny, but we're also quite odd.) Another special guest is here too: filmmaker (It's a Bash!), podcaster (Gleaming the Tube), and longtime friend of the Flopcast Kevin Cafferty! Kevin and Kevin (this is gonna get confusing) both spent the 90s lurking around the filthy rock clubs of Providence, and recall long crazy nights at places like The Living Room, The Strand, Club Babyhead, and Lupo's Heartbreak...
2021-05-3049 min
The Dragon Con ReportThe 2021 Dragon Con Report Episode 3All signs along the road to Dragon Con 2021 read, "Cautiously Optimistic." Mike, Mike, Darren, and Jen have the latest news and announcements. Plus, we are joined by Kimber McDermott, founder of the Dragon Con Over 40 Club, and discuss what it's like to get older as our favorite con gets bigger.
We want to hear from you! Please email us at feedback@dragonconreport.com and subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, or wherever fine podcasts are found.
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2021-03-301h 20The FlopcastKornflake Loves the 90sLast week Kevin listed his ten favorite albums from the 1980s, year by ridiculous year. So this week it's Kornflake's turn, with an album list from the 1990s! (You may not remember the 90s very well. You were so goofed up on Crystal Pepsi back then.) It's a fun mix of alt-rock, pop, boy bands, and maybe even a little rap and hair metal. (But alas, no Spacehog...) Also: Happy Birthday to a classic TV mom (from Lassie AND Lost in Space), Kornflake is drinking something that isn't coffee, Kevin keeps running into Herbie the Love Bug, and Rhode...
2020-06-2141 minThe FlopcastLobster AvalancheBy request, Kevin lists a favorite album for each year of the 1980s, and Kornflake provides expert (?) commentary along the way. (Several Australian acts made the list. Not just Air Supply.) Also: We're dancing on the ceiling with clay heads in honor of Lionel Richie's birthday, Kevin finally leaves the house (wearing a chicken mask) for the reopening of Rubber Chicken Comics, we're back in Classic Sci-Fi Court, and Kornflake has weird coffee and a lobster avalanche. It was not a normal week. We don't have those anymore. The Flopcast website The ESO Network
2020-06-1533 minThe FlopcastABC Saturday Morning 1980 - Ookla's the BestGrab a bowl of Cookie Crisp; you're gonna need it. The plan is to discuss every Saturday morning cartoon from way back in 1980, even if it takes three episodes (one for each network). We're starting with ABC, whose Saturday morning lineup included Super Friends (with evil robot space monkey Gleek), Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (with Cupcake and her flying saucer time machine), Richie Rich and Scooby Doo (and alas, Scrappy too), Thundarr the Barbarian (whose post-apocalyptic world seems all too familiar these days), Heathcliff and Dingbat (it's a vampire dog - deal with it), Plastic Man (and...
2020-05-0342 minThe FlopcastSpeaking of BoobsIt's another week in Chickentown Lockdown... so Kevin and Kornflake are playing weird secret online games with their weird secret online friends, Niki Luparelli is entertaining the world from her kitchen, Jay Leno is distracted by Kevin's t-shirt, and a trip into the Pudding Pages leads to yet another Flopcast discussion of Dynamite magazine. This is a quick one, because we're very busy not doing anything.
2020-04-2626 minThe FlopcastHold the IguanaRemember what the world was like two weeks ago? Yeah, things have changed. But that's when Kevin took a quick trip to Las Vegas to visit our dear friends Brittany and Martha of Good Enough Cosplay! So they're on the show this week, discussing murderers and ice cream bears, strippers and showers, turkeys and taxes, Black Widow and Hawkeye... and their upcoming podcast: But First, Let's Talk Nerdy. Kevin and Brittany also ran a 5K race in the Vegas desert, and the results will shock you. (Yes, rubber reptiles and tiny trash bins were involved.) Also: Online concerts, Mystery...
2020-03-2246 minThe FlopcastTrain Talk With Ed Part 1 - All Aboard, All AloneThis week Kevin and Kornflake are joined by special guest Ed, from The Sponge Awareness Foundation! But Ed is not just the other half of Kevin's old comedy band. Ed is also a train expert, and today we're talking trains. HEY, WAIT, COME BACK. This is The Flopcast, so specifically we're talking about trains from old movies, TV shows, and cartoons! Anyone else remember the short-lived 1979 show Supertrain? (It was Love Boat on a train, essentially. We miss it terribly.) Can you name the movies that had Jack Lemmon and Jon Cryer racing through Boston's South Station, just like...
2019-10-271h 10The FlopcastCONvergence 2019 - There's Always a JugheadKevin and the Mayor of Chickentown have just returned from CONvergence, a wonderful science fiction/fantasy convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. So we're reviewing our whole crazy Fourth of July weekend in the upper midwest, including: Kevin's panels on Aquaman, Riverdale, and DC comic books, TV shows, and movies; the Mayor's panels on She-Ra, Doctor Who, The Magicians, and choosing your own adventure; CONvergence guest of honor, writer, and internet sensation Chuck Tingle; concerts from The Doubleclicks, Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters, Karl Brown, The Dregs, and The Gernsback Continuum; comedy and role-playing games with Joseph Scrimshaw; the amazing...
2019-07-151h 06The FlopcastCONvergence Preview - Not a JinxKevin and the Mayor of Chickentown are preparing for a silly, geeky Fourth of July weekend at CONvergence! It's one of our favorite conventions, it's in Minneapolis, and there is a giant blue chicken sculpture nearby. Perfect. Guests at this year's CONvergence include writers Peter David and Chuck Tingle, comedian Joseph Scrimshaw, and nerd music duo The Doubleclicks! We're also looking forward to a special CD release performance by our friends Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters! And we run through our CONvergence panel schedule: You'll find the Mayor on panels about Doctor Who, She-Ra, The Magicians, and choose-your-own-adventure...
2019-06-2329 minThe FlopcastThey Might Be Exaggerated CharactersIt's no secret that Kevin and Kornflake are longtime fans of Brooklyn's ambassadors of love, They Might Be Giants. (Their matching Doctor Worm tattoos sort of gave it away.) And since John Linnell (you know, the keyboard/accordion half of the band) has a birthday this week, we're sharing a few TMBG memories, and flipping through a giant (well, it might be giant) stack of TMBG albums. Including: Kevin and Kornflake on the radio, Doornail and Kornflake on a bus, Kornflake providing a shirt for John Flansburgh (you know, the guitar half of the band) at a TMBG show...
2019-06-0934 minThe FlopcastDrink Like a SkinkWe're just days away from the third ever performance of Kevin's weird cover band, God's Comics! So this week we have a special interview with our God's Comics co-conspirator, Sean Fullerton! Kevin and Sean recall their mid-90s glory days at the late great Grind coffeehouse, and how their love of Men at Work, Elvis Costello, and The Monkees led to this silly cover band project. Join us at The Hearing Room in Lowell, Massachusetts on Saturday, May 25th, 2019! It'll be festive and ridiculous. And speaking of May 25th, that's also National Wine Day, which means Korkflake has filled...
2019-05-2047 minThe FlopcastAre You an Exceptional Gal?While Kornflake's away, Kevin and the Mayor discuss a recent stand-up comedy show from Saturday Night Live veterans Jon Lovitz (Tonto!), Tim Meadows (The Ladies Man!), and Chris Kattan (Mango!). 'Twas a fun show, especially the opening set by a friend of the Flopcast, TV Guidance Counselor's Ken Reid. And we were inspired to recall all the times we've previously encountered SNL cast members. Including: A long ago stand-up set from Dana Carvey, a powerful one-woman show from Julia Sweeney, and a goofy evening with Adam Sandler (plus a surprise appearance by Rob Schneider). There have been about 150 SNL...
2019-04-1549 minThe FlopcastVansploitationIt's miserably cold here in Chickentown, and we just can't take it anymore, but we still managed to prepare a goofy little show for you. Including: Kevin reviews The Van, a dreadful 1977 movie with Danny DeVito (and a weird Brady Bunch connection)! Kornflake has questions about yacht rock! (Don't we all?) Jennifer Aniston has a birthday! We preview two more upcoming conventions: Gallifrey One and MarsCon! Plus Kornflake goes snow tubing, Kevin donates blood, and we invent a disgusting new Olympic competition.
2019-02-1034 minThe FlopcastPeace to None, Good Will to NobodyKevin and Kornflake ring in the holidays with our favorite 90s Boston band, Letters to Cleo! (You may recall their hit song "Here and Now," or their appearances in 10 Things I Hate About You and Parks and Recreation, or singer Kay Hanley's vocals for Josie and the Pussycats... or if you don't know them, look them up. You're welcome.) We were in the front row for Letters to Cleo's holiday homecoming shows (both of them!), and have a full report, including: Dangerously close guitar solos! Surprise guests! Opening band American Hi-Fi! Kay Hanley approving of Kevin's shirt! No one...
2018-11-2535 minThe FlopcastWhat's This?It's movie night in Chickentown once again, because Kornflake waited a quarter of a century to see one of Kevin's all-time favorites, 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas. So while chomping on some festive pizza pie, we watch this festive stop motion-animated classic from Tim Burton and Henry Selick, and discuss. Mentioned along the way: The cluelessness of everyone in Halloween Town, the awesomeness of Behemoth ("Bunny!"), the amazing cast (by the way, we got one of the voice credits wrong, because we are us), the allure of the turkey tree, the crowing of the skeleton rooster, Kornflake's favorite character...
2018-11-1829 minThe FlopcastScience TurkeyGrumpy old music fans, rejoice! It's time for our annual review of the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! This is a fun list, including one of Kevin's all-time favorites (Devo, at last), and one of Kornflake's all-time least favorites (sorry, Stevie Nicks). Hey, maybe this will be the year the Bay City Rollers finally get inducted, despite not even being nominated. We can dream. And speaking of beloved Scottish pop stars, Kevin finally saw Sheena Easton live in concert, and has a full report, for your ears only. (Good luck getting "Morning Train" out of...
2018-11-0444 minThe FlopcastSuper Megafest 2018 - Voltron Britney SpearsKevin reports from one of our favorite local geek conventions (now back in its beloved original location), Super Megafest! Including: The stars of Lost in Space and Leave it to Beaver, 80s movie buttons from Rubber Chicken Comics (Free Johnny Dangerously!), Jonathan Winters trash bags (?), and a whole lot of Britneys, compliments of Good Enough Cosplay. And of course, there was the solo acoustic concert by TV's Will Robinson, Bill Mumy... which means we have the results of our Fish Heads bet! Did Bill perform "Fish Heads," as Kornflake predicted, thus dooming the Flopcast to a winter of iced...
2018-10-2846 minThe FlopcastIrish VolesIt's Flopcast movie night! All year long, Kornflake has been catching up on movies she should have seen long ago. So this week we watch and discuss one of Kevin's favorite movies from back in 1991, The Commitments. (Because if you want to experience genuine soul music... you go to Ireland.) We talk about the cast (hey, there's Star Trek's Chief Miles O'Brien!), the music (could Joey the Lips really play that trumpet?), trying and failing to rent the movie at Blockbuster, scary twins, Kornflake's collection of Corrs albums (on cassette!), and the time Kevin saw the Commitments live in...
2018-09-2332 minThe FlopcastDragonCon 2018 - All the Sponge MoneyKevin spent a long crazy Labor Day weekend in Atlanta for DragonCon, and shares a full report on our favorite convention with Kornflake and the Mayor of Chickentown! Highlights include: A Sesame Street reunion (with Luis, Bob, Gordon, and Big Bird); panels with stars from Mystery Science Theater 3000, Smallville, and all the DC Arrowverse shows; music from Tom Kenny and The Hi-Seas, and The Doubleclicks; The Newbie Walking Tours (because we like to be exhausted on day 1); the Geek Girls Run (because we still weren't quite exhausted enough); the ESO Network Meet and Greet (which may have involved pie...
2018-09-091h 30The FlopcastCummerbund Emergency - Our DragonCon PreviewAs usual, Kevin will be in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend for DragonCon, surrounded by 80,000 other very weird humans. This giant convention has an amazing guest list again this year, including cast members from Sesame Street, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Star Trek, Black Lightning, Stranger Things, and lots more. Musical guests include Flopcast favorites The Doubleclicks, Mikey Mason, Tom Smith, and Rhiannon's Lark. And you'll find many of our favorite writers, artists, costumers, scientists, skeptics, and podcasters, including plenty of ESO Network personnel! We break it all down for you this week, plus we run through Kevin's schedule of panels...
2018-08-261h 01The FlopcastDown at Fry Gull RockKornflake reports on FlopFest, her annual summer celebration featuring hammocks, sunburns, cover bands on trucks, and not enough vodka. She also reviews Solo: A Star Wars Story (quick version: not enough Tawny Kitaen) and visits a well-chlorinated, sea bird-infested water park. Then Kevin has concert reports on U2 (and their secret keyboardist), Jonathan Coulton (still singing about IKEA, as he should), and Aimee Mann (who treated the 80s nerds in the crowd to a 'Til Tuesday classic). Kevin also just saw Caddyshack on the big screen, so we share a little trivia from the new book Caddyshack: The Making...
2018-07-1538 minThe FlopcastClassic Sci-Fi Court - If the Duck Bill FitsKevin is far from Chickentown this week, hiding in Minnesota with all the cool kids at CONvergence. So we have something special instead of our regular Flopcast programming. We're flashing back to DragonCon 2017... and we're going to court. Specifically, this is Classic Sci-Fi Court, compliments of the DragonCon American Sci-Fi Classics Track. Kevin was part of an elite dream team of delusional defense attorneys tasked with defending notoriously bad movies before a judge, jury, and roomful of giggling onlookers. And his movie was... the 1986 George Lucas turkey (well, almost)... Howard the Duck. (We do enjoy a weird challenge around...
2018-07-0854 minThe FlopcastSix Degrees of Estelle GettyIt's a bizarre mix of silly items this week... First we celebrate Kevin Bacon's birthday with a round or two of the Kevin Bacon game. (This game would be much easier if Kevin and Mr. T would finally star in the buddy cop movie of our dreams...) Next in our Pudding Pages segment, Kornflake fondly recalls riding in the "way back" of the family station wagon. (In a way, she's still back there...) We also have a Chickens in the News segment, which somehow involves both traffic safety and alligator wrestling. And Kevin reports on Classic Con, where he...
2018-07-0132 minThe FlopcastCONvergence Preview - We're ParchedWatch out, fair citizens of the Upper Midwest! Kevin is creeping back to Bloomington, Minnesota for CONvergence, an amazing science fiction convention happening July 5th-8th! This year's guests include Marina Sirtis (one of our favorite Star Trek counselors), Mary Jo Pehl (one of our favorite MST3K Mads)... and a classic 80s synthpop band: Minnesota's own Information Society! (And in case you're wondering: Yes, we are officially freaking out about Information Society.) Kevin will be appearing on panels throughout the weekend, discussing Swamp Thing, Stranger Things, Gotham, and more. And we will be debuting our new Flopcast badge...
2018-06-2433 minThe FlopcastIn the Shadow of the Tall GirlAfter a long cruel winter here in Chickentown, we finally celebrate the return of our beloved iced coffee, with our beloved coffee cubes. (This is what Kornflake waits for all year.) And while we could (and sometimes do) just talk about coffee all night, there are a few other (far less significant) items to discuss this week. We have a pair of concert reports, as Kornflake attends a Star Wars-themed Jim's Big Ego show (it was May the Fourth, you see), while Kevin and the Mayor wander up to Maine to see Canadian power pop band Sloan (it was...
2018-05-2033 minThe FlopcastCooler Than a SleestakGrab a bowl of Frankenberry, because we're flashing back to Arisia (our favorite local science fiction convention), where Kevin moderated a panel called "Cereal and Cartoons: Saturday Mornings Revisited"! Joining Kevin on the panel were filmmaker Kevin Cafferty, Andy Hicks (of the Coal Hill A/V Club podcast), and Karen (of the Foxes in the Hen House podcast)! Among the topics discussed: The Superfriends, Pee Wee's Playhouse, ALF, Captain Bob, Weird Al, Josie and the Pussycats, The Brady Kids, School House Rock, Time for Timer, Gilligan's Planet, Mr. T, Thundarr the Barbarian, Turbo Teen, Kidd Video, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs...
2018-04-291h 09The FlopcastWeird Weird WeirdWhile Kornflake was away at MarsCon, Kevin was busy with silly things too. One of our comedy music heroes, "Weird Al" Yankovic, brought his "Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour" to Boston for two shows in the same day... and Kevin showed up for both of them. This long weird day also included stand-up from Emo Philips, a round of Weird Al Jeopardy, a backstage meet and greet, and a special late night show from Al's longtime band members Jim West and Steve Jay. (Live Hawaiian guitar music, at a Harvard Square folk club, at midnight, on a Sunday? Sure...
2018-03-2545 min
The Master's Mind PodcastOutstanding Customer Service - Kevin EldridgeGreat interview with Kevin Eldridge, he is the owner of a long standing family business that his dad started and Kevin continues to help peolple in the community and he really tries to focus on customer service and keeps his heart on his family and The Lord!
2018-02-2625 minThe FlopcastArisia 2018 - Science NapKevin, Kornflake, and the Mayor of Chickentown have a full report on our weekend at "New England's largest and most diverse science fiction and fantasy convention," Arisia! Including: Kevin's panels on Riverdale and Saturday morning TV (yes, Robbie Rist was mentioned, more than once), keytar-based synthrock (and a Taylor Dayne cover!) from Minusworld, a gender-swapped Star Trek show from the Post-Meridian Radio Players, a Princess Bride shadowcast from the Teseracte Players, Geek Belly Dancing, stand-up comedy (from Wes Hazard, Srilatha Rajamani, Anthony Scibelli, Emily Ruskowski, and Nick Chambers), more panels (on Wonder Woman, A Wrinkle in Time, Hitchhiker's Guide...
2018-01-2150 minThe FlopcastThe 90s Movie Game - Still Crazy PeopleWe're in the middle of our 1990s-themed shows, so it's finally time to play the 90s Movie Game! (You may recall that we invented this goofy game last year. Check out Flopcast episodes 258 and 261 for the 80s and 70s versions.) The wacky premise is: For each year of the 1990s, we try to guess each other's favorite movie, points are awarded, and dreams of victory are crushed. For the 90s version, you can expect lots of Disney and Pixar, lots of Tim Burton, lots of Robin Williams, and lots of Kevin Smith. Maybe some Bradys and Ninja Turtles too...
2018-01-071h 09The FlopcastOur Stupid Year in ReviewWhy, 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...
2017-12-3151 minThe FlopcastTurkey Holiday SpecialThis 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...
2017-12-1036 minThe FlopcastDragonCon 2017 - Get the DuckHere 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...
2017-09-241h 50The FlopcastWonder Woman, at Last!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...
2017-09-171h 18The FlopcastLike a TurkeyKornflake 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...
2017-09-1031 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 269: Where's Tito?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...
2017-07-0239 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 261: The 70s Movie Game - Bad News BirdsKornflake 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...
2017-05-071h 04The FlopcastFlopcast 256: RatsThanks 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...
2017-04-0233 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 250: Raiders of the Lost MarxKevin 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...
2017-02-1940 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 243: Drunk Guys in Santa SuitsIt'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...
2017-01-0127 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 229: DragonCon 2016 - Do You Want A Banana?It's our annual DragonCon review show, in which Kornflake patiently tolerates Kevin's endless yammering about our very favorite gathering of nerds and/or geeks in hot and sticky downtown Atlanta, Georgia! Featuring: All our crazy awesome friends from the ESO Network, the American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media Track, the American Sci-Fi Classics Track, and Wicked Geeky; a field trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts (to visit all the Muppets, plus Kornflake's old friend Up-Up from Romper Room); the Cult of the Marriott Carpet; Kevin explaining "filk" on DragonCon TV; panels on Little Shop of Horrors, Watchmen, Gotham, Wonder...
2016-09-2556 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 226: Thundarr the Barbarian Feels AwesomeLords of light! Just in time for DragonCon 2016, we're flashing back to DragonCon 2015 for a panel about Thundarr the Barbarian! Yes, Kevin and a bunch more sleep-deprived maniacs from the American Sci-Fi Classics Track look back at our favorite post-apocalyptic Saturday morning cartoon hero. In Thundarr's world, the horses had beaks, the rats had stylish scarves, and nobody -- certainly not Ookla the Mok -- wore pants. It was glorious. Our conversation drifts to other Saturday morning science fiction favorites too: Space Ghost, Herculoids, Jason of Star Command, Gilligan's Planet... yikes, now all you need is a big bowl o...
2016-09-0440 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 219: FlopFest 2016 - Multiple GilligansKornflake reports on the second annual FlopFest celebration, which mostly involves flopping in a hammock in the middle of New Hampshire. This year's FlopFest also featured tall monsters, small manservants, Isaac the Bartender, an Internet-famous dog, and waffles. Next year's FlopFest will feature a giant Silver Spoons-themed parade float shaped like Ricky Schroder's head (if there's any chance of Kevin showing up, that is). Kornflake also has a concert report, because those crazy Indigo Girls came around again. And we open the Flopcast mailbag and learn that someone really wants to sell coffee to Kevin's old band, the Sponge...
2016-07-1724 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 215: A New Fun BeverageKevin and Kornflake want you to celebrate National Selfie Day, especially if you're a macaque; we creep down to the rock clubs of Providence, Rhode Island in search of Mongoose Molly; we have a new movie review, all thanks to a power outage; and we look ahead at CONvergence (4th of July weekend in Bloomington, Minnesota), featuring meteorites, owls, Martians, Joseph Scrimshaw, the Skepchick Space Lab, and Kevin's big chance to mansplain Supergirl. Also, yes, Kornflake and Doornail invented a new fun beverage. The secret ingredients are vodka and vodka.
2016-06-1928 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 211: Tickled SkinkAs summertime approaches here in Chickentown, Kevin and Kornflake are back on the iced coffee, featuring our beloved coffee cubes! (Coffee cubes are like Time for Timer's "Sunshine on a Stick," but without the toothpicks, and you use coffee instead of orange juice. We'll send you the recipe.) This week Kevin has a couple of concert reports, as Ben Folds and yMusic rock Boston (with a bass clarinet!), and Freezepop returns to Harvard Square (with a bunch of keytars, of course). And by the way, there are just a few days left in Freezepop's Kickstarter campaign! Send them your...
2016-05-2223 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 203: Some Melons?A sleepy Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a round of "What's in the Bag?" featuring Batman and lobsters (our two favorite things); in perhaps our all-time stupidest National Whatever Day, we learn about Chinese gooseberries, and how Kornflake really feels about produce managers; Kevin wanders around Vermont and experiences the bizarre tradition of "sugar on snow" (it's weirder than you think -- pickles are involved); and we check out a crazy CBGB-themed concert and burlesque show, featuring a Blondie tribute by Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers, a Ramones tribute by Warthog, and a Talking Heads...
2016-03-2726 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 200: Celebrate Being a CerealOops! Kevin, Kornflake, and the Mayor of Chickentown are trapped in a walk-in freezer! (Kornflake didn't know the door locked automatically!) But while waiting to be rescued by a wacky neighbor, they recall favorite moments from past Flopcast episodes through a series of annoying old clips. Okay, not really. For our 200th show, we're just relaxing in the studio as usual, because alas, this isn't quite a 1980s sitcom. (But we're working on it.) In honor of National Cereal Day, Kevin shares a really stupid idea he once had for a really stupid new cereal. Then the Mayor discusses...
2016-03-0636 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 196: We Want a Space FluteKevin and Kornflake check out the new MarsCon Dementia Track fundraiser album, and you should too. (Warning: Contains goofy songs by The Sponge Awareness Foundation, and lobster songs by Kornflake!) Also: Astronaut Cady Coleman has a space flute, we have mixed feelings about a new ninth planet that isn't Pluto, Kornflake has big plans to play Connect Four and Hungry Hungry Hippos at TotalCon, the Mayor of Chickentown has seized control of our Twitter account, and Kevin was back on the Earth Station One podcast to talk about The Monkees. (Speaking of which, we have a correction from this...
2016-02-0729 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 194: Arisia 2016 - Gazoo With a KazooAfter a three year absence, Kevin and Kornflake went creeping back to Arisia! (A science fiction convention on the Boston waterfront in mid-January... this is how we eliminate the weaker nerds from the pack.) Kornflake was there on Saturday, and enjoyed a game of Munchkin, a Princess Bride shadowcast show with the Teseracte Players, a workshop about shiny things, and a large angry chicken. Kevin didn't show up until Sunday, and just sort of wandered around not doing much of anything. (The winner is Kornflake!) Also: National Kazoo Day is this week, so our usual advice applies -- don't...
2016-01-2433 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 188: Caught in a VortexThis week we're joined by a special surprise guest (it was certainly a surprise to Kornflake): Ed, of The Sponge Awareness Foundation! (That's Kevin's old comedy band, which you probably knew already, because we're super-famous.) And we're talking about 1988, which was the year Ed put together his high school rock band, Vortex. (Yikes, those guys covered a lot of Bon Jovi.) Ed takes us through the history of Vortex, including their crazy gigs (a mix of children's dances and creepy all-ages rock clubs), their self-produced cassette album (Kevin found a copy years later at a flea market), the "Playgound...
2015-12-1353 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 187: Hiding Out in ChickentownKevin and Kornflake's ill-conceived trip back through the 80s brings us to 1987! It was the year Debbie Gibson taught us to shake our love -- a practice which is illegal in most states these days. Kornflake reminds us of the 1987 debut of the San Francisco-based sitcom Full House, as well as the time that city's famed Golden Gate Bridge nearly collapsed under the weight of a million hippies. (Historians still debate which was the greater disaster.) Kevin's 1987 pick is the goofy Jon Cryer movie Hiding Out, which was set in the Boston area and a little creepy, just like u...
2015-12-0622 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 186: Hey Hey We're the Howler MonkeysThis week our excruciating ten-part look at the 80s brings us to 1986! 'Twas the year we danced on the ceiling, had fun tonight, and were rocked by Amadeus (which explains the headache we've had for the last thirty years). Kornflake tells us about the 1986 reopening of the Statue of Liberty, which had spent much of the 80s surrounded by scaffolding, while construction workers added giant shoulder pads and one massive sequin glove. Meanwhile Kevin recalls the high school sitcom Head of the Class, in which a bunch of genius kids learned simple life lessons from Doctor Johnny Fever. Also...
2015-11-2939 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 185: The Legend of Turkey StarkWe're halfway through our court-ordered ten-episode celebration of the 80s, which means it's time to talk about 1985. Kornflake has a song by Passion Pit (not from 1985, but still thematically appropriate... well played, Kornflake). Meanwhile Kevin selects the classic Pat Benatar-meets-Supergirl film The Legend of Billie Jean, because fair's fair. Then we move on to some holiday talk -- Kevin's Halloween costume was the stupidest thing anyone has ever seen, and we have the Turkey Stark business cards to prove it. We also thought Thanksgiving week would be the perfect time to tell the world about "turxting" -- a bold...
2015-11-2234 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 184: Chicken MasterFor our 1984-themed episode, Kevin and Kornflake each have a weird TV memory to share. Kornflake recalls DTV, which was Disney Channel's take on MTV-style music videos. (But where was Billy Ocean? A certain cartoon rodent owes us an apology.) Meanwhile Kevin is still obsessed with The Master, a short-lived TV series about a ninja, his dopey apprentice, and their pet hamster. It was ridiculous and we loved it. And in our "Chickens in the News" segment: Well, there's a chicken on Twitter. For real. This is best thing to come out of Australia since Air Supply (and coming...
2015-11-1521 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 183: Of Nena and NuggetsThis week we're creeping back to 1983, the year Top 40 radio was totally conquered by goofy new wave. We were blinded with science, rocked down to Electric Avenue, safety danced if we wanted to, and watched 99 red balloons go by. In fact, Kevin's pick for our 1983 discussion is Nena, the young German lady who taught us about those red balloons (or luftballons, if you prefer). Meanwhile, Kornflake reminds us that 1983 was also the year of the Chicken McNugget! (Mayor McCheese knew his days were numbered when those little creeps blew into town.) We also look ahead to the Super Megafest...
2015-11-0828 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 182: Chaka KhanflakeKevin and Kornflake celebrate the year 1982 by discussing a couple of lost Saturday morning cartoons ("Meatballs and Spaghetti" and "Pandamonium") and an early computer virus ("Elk Cloner"). Scientists are trying to determine which of these 1982 creations has done the most damage over the years. Then we review the recently announced nominees for induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year: Chic, Deep Purple, Nine Inch Nails, NWA, The Smiths, The Spinners, Yes, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Janet Jackson, The JB's, Chaka Khan, Los Lobos, and Steve Miller. Warning: This list contains one of Kevin's all-time...
2015-11-0240 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 174: Saturday Morning Cartoon FeverKevin has abandoned Chickentown to join the crazy people at DragonCon! Assuming he isn't captured by Sleestaks, we'll have a full report in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here's a special panel we recorded on the Fourth of July at CONvergence in Bloomington, Minnesota! Kevin is joined by our new best friends Jennifer, Mark, and Anna, and we discuss one of our very favorite subjects: Saturday morning cartoons! Included in the discussion: Scooby Doo, Gilligan's Planet, Jabberjaw, Fangface, Strawberry Shortcake, New Kids on the Block, Danger Mouse, Beetlejuice, The Harlem Globetrotters, Mighty Mouse, Jem, Captain Caveman, Speed Racer, Gargoyles...
2015-09-0655 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 172: DragonCon Preview - Your Ring and Your DingWe're less than two weeks from our favorite geek event of the whole stupid year: DragonCon. So before we begin the long, treacherous journey from Chickentown to Atlanta (we got a great deal on a MTV LeRun skate-bike), here's our DragonCon preview show! This year's guest list includes some of our favorite actors (from Arrow, Flash, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and of course, Silver Spoons), comedy and music performers (including Paul and Storm, Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, and Mikey Mason), puppeteers (Carol "Big Bird" Spinney!), skeptics (The Amazing Randi returns!), and even a couple of guys from Monty Python...
2015-08-2340 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 168: Seven Gin and Tonics to the StageKevin and Kornflake are back in Chickentown after a goofy road trip to Vermont, where they found bugs, mud, and other constant reminders that they should never leave the house. But hey, in addition to all that pesky nature, there was a "Weird Al" Yankovic concert! Well played, Vermont. We also note the closing of T. T. the Bear's Place, a legendary club that was the heart of Boston's rock scene for decades. TT's was the site of countless shows by some of our favorite performers (including Ed's Redeeming Qualities, Mojo Nixon, The Shods, Mary Lou Lord, Freezepop, The...
2015-07-2626 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 167: CONvergence vs. FlopFestKevin, Kornflake, and The Mayor have abandoned Chickentown to record this week's show from a secret undisclosed location! But we'll be back in our regular studio next week (the chickens are getting restless), and all will be revealed. This week, however, we're looking back at the 4th of July weekend (which took place in early July, according to scientists). Kevin and The Mayor journeyed west to Minnesota for CONvergence, where they encountered a giant walking milkshake, Disco Boba Fett, bellydancers, Trek Bunnies, rat puppets, Feng Shui Ninjas, School House Rock singalongs, and Buzzed Aldrins in the Skepchick party room...
2015-07-1933 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 165: Flop Goes the WorldKornflake dreams of a Flopcast road trip to Wayne, Nebraska... possibly because they have a GIANT ANNUAL CHICKEN FESTIVAL!!! Meanwhile Kevin has been creeping around the rock clubs of Boston again, and reports on recent shows by Telelectrix (they have a keyboard fort), Party Bois (they like to drink, they like to party), Petty Morals (aka Go Bang), CJ Ramone (who brought along an Aquabat or two), Shonen Knife (they sing about cats and capybaras, so we love them), and (get ready to freak out) Men Without Hats. (We can pretend it's 1983 if we want to.) Kevin also dropped...
2015-07-0532 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 164: Sexy as a Disco MummyKevin and Kornflake have one more item of business to discuss from FuMPFeST, as Kevin reveals that in the middle of this funny music convention, he sneaked off to a whole other convention! This was Mego Meet, a show dedicated to the Mego superhero dolls (sorry, action figures) of the 1970s. Found at Mego Meet: Kid Flash's boots, Tiny Titans creator Art Baltazar, an Ark II Halloween costume, and (according to a rumor started by some goofy podcast) Taylor Swift. The toy talk continues as we flip through a fun book called Rack Toys, which features page after page...
2015-06-2825 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 160: FloplooseMost scientists agree that Kevin is tragically obsessed with the classic 1984 movie Footloose. Kornflake, however, had never actually seen it! Thus our mission was clear -- we had to watch Footloose, and then try to make sense of it all. So this week, we discuss the Footloose cast (which was completely upstaged by Lori Singer's red boots), the soundtrack (yikes, so many Top 40 hits, including one from a guy who may have been from Krypton), the dancing (let's hear it for the adorable "Kevin Bacon teaches Chris Penn to dance" montage), and of course, the chicken race. (No actual...
2015-05-3128 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 158: Brush With DaveIt's the end of an era in late night TV, as David Letterman wraps up 33 years of stupid pets and guys under the seats. So this week, we're looking back on how we discovered Dave in the 80s, how he influenced Kevin's goofy band, and how he inspired Kornflake to hide inside a couch. And we share the silly tale of how Kevin actually ended up on Dave's show way back in 1991. (We may even have a rare audio clip from that appearance. You have been warned.) Also: Kornflake reviews the nominees in this year's Logan Awards for excellence...
2015-05-1735 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 148: Kevin and Luke Don't Talk About ToonsKevin and Kornflake are far from Chickentown Studios this week, because it's time for MarsCon! So instead of a regular show, here's something special we've been saving for you. A few months back, while Kornflake was out of town (or so we thought), Kevin and the great Luke Ski spent an hour or so listing their Top 4 1/2 live action characters of the 1980s! Not just any old fictional characters from TV or movies -- we're talking about the larger-than-life cartoonish characters who walked among us in the real world. (So Beetlejuice, for example, would not qualify, but Pee Wee...
2015-03-081h 09The FlopcastFlopcast 146: Like Phoebe Cates - Our MarsCon PreviewNext week, assuming we're not grounded by a horrifying blizzard (place your bets now), Kevin and Kornflake shall return to Bloomington, Minnesota for MarsCon! In addition to seeing some of our favorite funny musicians, we'll be hosting a game show-style live version of the Flopcast, and Kornflake will be back in the pool for Dementia Water Aerobics! Kevin's goofy band The Sponge Awareness Foundation is performing too, and this week we reveal the new SAF merchandise we're producing just for MarsCon! (This could become a rare collector's item!!!) (But probably not!!!) Also: Although we miss his giant crazy 80s...
2015-02-2236 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 143: It's Hip To Jump On SquaresChickentown is completely buried in snow, but Kevin and Kornflake tunneled and/or tauntauned their way into the studio, just for you. This week Kevin reports on a Niki Luparelli show (Niki can sing like Marilyn, play the ukulele, hula hoop, and remove your tattoo, possibly all at once) and "Pulp Friction" (a Tarantino-themed burlesque show, believe it or not). Meanwhile Kornflake spent more time bouncing at the trampoline park, and provides snappy answers to Kevin's stupid questions about the weird world of trampolining. Also: We enjoy an art-themed edition of our long-neglected "What's in the Bag?" segment; Weird...
2015-02-0133 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 083: 1983 Geek-a-ManiaWe're up to 1983 in our ten-part look back at the 1980s, and we have something special for you crazy kids. Back at DragonCon, Kevin participated in a panel called "1983 Geek-a-Mania in TV and Movies" -- and this week, we're sharing that panel with you! (Seemed like a better option than doing a whole new show, which would have involved time, and effort, and other such unpleasantries...) Kevin is joined by an all-star lineup of authors, bloggers, and podcasters: Van Plexico, Michael Gordon, Jessa Phillips, and Keith DeCandido! (And despite Kevin's best efforts, this panel isn't JUST about the 1983 Mr...
2013-12-0847 minThe FlopcastFlopcast 051: Mighty Morphin Panda RangersEveryone 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...
2013-04-2856 min