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Sunday, January 19, 2020

Flopcast 402: Memorial Show Part 2 - Squirrels in Space

Okay, let's wrap up our tribute to the pop culture legends we lost in 2019. (We've been drinking so many shots in their memory that we're almost out of coffee. And that frightens us.) Part 2 includes more movie stars (Peter Fonda, Sid Haig, Danny Aiello), sitcom stars (Valerie Harper, Bill Macy, Philip McKeon), rock stars (Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek, Ginger Baker), and, uh, Star Trek stars (DC Fontana, Aron Eisenberg, René Auberjonois). There are even a couple of beloved performers from bizarre 1970s variety TV (which did not get more bizarre than The Brady Bunch Hour and The Star Wars Holiday Special). And from children's TV we have Russi Taylor (the voice of Minnie Mouse), Jack Sheldon (the voice of Conjunction Junction)... and Big Bird himself, Caroll Spinney. So hang on, kids, and we'll get through the whole list together. And hey, if you need cheering up, Squirrel Appreciation Day is this week too. You know what to do.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Flopcast 401: Memorial Show Part 1 - Monkee, Wookiee, and Muskrat Love

You know we do this every year... yes, it's the first of our two-part look back at all the pop culture legends we lost in 2019. And yeah, a couple of our favorite Peters (Tork and Mayhew) are on this year's list, along with stars from TV (Tim Conway, Katherine Helmond, Luke Perry), movies (Albert Finney, Rutger Hauer, Doris Day), music (James Ingram, Leon Redbone, Dr. John), wrestling (KING KONG BUNDY), and beyond. (Remember, Grumpy Cat is always watching, and is thoroughly displeased.) So crank up a weird Captain and Tennille record, grab your beverage of choice (we're going with coffee, believe it or not), and join us for just one more round, friends. Happy Life Day, Chewie.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Flopcast 400: It's 2020! Krazbit!

Yes yes yes, it's our 400th episode! To celebrate, we're drinking lots of black coffee. (Hey, it worked for the first 399 shows.) We're also reviewing how we spent the stupid holidays, including a couple of festive movies (Knives Out and the new Star Wars, which needed more Bea Arthur), a couple of festive concerts (Dar Williams and Freezepop), and a very Robolar Christmas card. We also have a few classic Flopcast segments: What's in the Bag?, Chickens in the News... and the long-awaited (?) return of Capes or Apes. Also discussed along the way: British comedian James Acaster, a very important Tony Danza movie, a tiny drunk chicken, and the futuristic world of 2020 (according to Superman comics from 1980). And as promised... a MAJOR CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT from Kornflake! See, we finally have something to say. It only took 400 weeks.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Flopcast 399: The Year in Flopping

As we creep up on the end of 2019, Kevin and Kornflake relax and look back on the whole stupid year. We review our Flopcast segments (Capes or Apes!) and guests (Train Talk with Ed!), as well as concerts (Taylor Dayne! TAYLOR DAYNE!), conventions (hey, Arisia returns next month!), and lots more. Plus: National Whatever Day, a new novel from Matthew Dicks, the return of the Kornflake Book Club, a very Tootie Christmas movie, a very Boston lobster heist, and our very exciting New Year's Resolutions. And now we must prepare for Flopcast episode 400. By napping, mostly.

Sunday, December 23, 2019

Flopcast 398: Rankin/Bass Christmas Tournament Part 2 - Big Clumsy Snow Hands

Last week was Part 1 of our bizarre Rankin/Bass tournament, in which characters like Rudolph, Snow Miser, and Burgermeister Meisterburger competed in events like breakdancing and air hockey. The results were surprising, to say the least. This week, eight more Rankin/Bass characters are randomly drawn to do battle in equally ridiculous events. Will Santa Claus and Heat Miser have to play Hungry Hungry Hippos? Could Frosty the Snowman defeat Charlie in the Box in a yodeling competition? Friends, these are the important questions. In the end, last week's winner and this week's winner meet for a final confrontation that you will not believe, and we all learn the true meaning of the holidays. Which is to obsess over goofy old cartoons, apparently.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Flopcast 397: Rankin/Bass Christmas Tournament Part 1 - Breakdancing Bumble

Kevin and Kornflake are taking their obsession with classic Rankin/Bass Christmas cartoons to a ridiculous new level, tournament-style. We're randomly fishing names of Rankin/Bass characters out of reindeer-shaped coffee mugs, and determining who would win in various silly events. Who would make a better Lyft driver, Santa or Frosty? What if Heat Miser and Charlie-in-the-Box were in a rap battle? Stuff like that. And believe it or not, things get a little weird. The competition is fierce and festive, and this week's winner advances to the final round next week. And in true clickbait fashion, this week's winner will shock you. Enjoy the show... or we're sending Hermey for your teeth.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Flopcast 396: Turkeyed Out

Kevin and Kornflake review their Thanksgiving weekends, which involved multiple dinners (Hobbit-style!), a movie trivia game (where the answer is always Footloose), a Sharpie car, concerts from Gustafer Yellowgold and Niki Luparelli, turkey-themed wardrobes, and turkey-themed wardrobe malfunctions. Plus: Happy Birthday to Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers, a ridiculous New Zealand edition of Chickens in the News, and A Very Nancy Drew Christmas. It's a quick show, because the winter has already crushed us.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Flopcast 395: Snowmen and Snow Misers - Talking Rankin/Bass with Rick Goldschmidt

It's a special show to ring in the goofy holidays, featuring our interview with offical Rankin/Bass historian Rick Goldschmidt! You know Rankin/Bass. It's the legendary animation studio that produced all those classic holiday shows, starting with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964. Lots more wonderful cartoons followed, including Santa Claus is Comin' To Town (which gave us Burgermeister Meisterburger), The Year Without a Santa Claus (which gave us the Heat Miser and Snow Miser), 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (that's the one with the mice and the clocks), and yes, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. Beyond the holiday specials, Rankin/Bass was also responsible for Mad Monster Party, The Hobbit, The Last Unicorn, ThunderCats, and so much more. Rick's first book, The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass, is an invaluable resource for nerds like us, and his latest book celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Frosty the Snowman. Here on the Flopcast, Rick discusses the amazing talents behind the scenes at Rankin/Bass, many of whom he knew and worked with, including: character designers (and Mad magazine artists) Jack Davis and Paul Coker, Jr.; voice actors Paul Soles (Hermey the elf!), Bradley Bolke (Jangle the elf!), and Larry Storch (come on, LARRY STORCH!); composer Maury Laws; writer Romeo Muller; and the guys who started it all, Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass. Also discussed: Rick's experience as a guest this year at DragonCon, his picks for a couple of lesser-known Rankin/Bass projects we should all see, and his appearance on the TV show Collector's Call with Lisa Welchel! (That's right, Blair from The Facts of Life. You know we needed details.) Also this week: A holiday concert (and a new holiday EP) from Boston alt-rock legends Letters to Cleo, Speedy Ortiz, Grant's Advent Calendar, and Marisa Tomei. (Frosty would have a special message for Marisa: Happy Birthday.)

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Flopcast 394: Super Megafest 2019 - My Tony Danza Moment

It's a surprise Flopcast recording live from the middle of Super Megafest! (Kornflake wasn't even supposed to be there, so we were all just shocked and delighted.) We discuss our whole silly day at the convention, wandering around eyeballing the celebrity guests, including Spider-Man's Nicholas Hammond, 3rd Rock's French Stewart, MASH's Loretta Swit, The Munsters' Butch Patrick, wrestlers Tony Atlas and Ted DiBiase, practically everybody from The Warriors, all three Dukes of Hazzard cousins (Bo, Luke, AND Daisy)... and Kornflake's 80s sitcom hero, Tony Danza. (After Kornflake's historic meeting with Tony, we may have figured out who the boss really was.) Plus: Rubber Chicken Comics, Muppets, Legos, bootleg DVDs, a photo op with HR Pufnstuf and Sigmund the Sea Monster, and a surprise cameo by one of our favorite local costumers. You should have been there. It was just ridiculous.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Flopcast 393: Notorious Martika

We're a few weeks late, thanks to all those weird train-themed shows, but it's finally time for our annual review of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees! The short version: We're happy to see Pat Benatar and Whitney Houston on the list, but in our hearts, we just want everybody to Wang Chung tonight. Come on, Hall of Fame. WANG CHUNG. Also: Kornflake hits the road with attack chickens and attack lobsters, Kevin almost survives SoulCycle, and Happy Birthday to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Tina Turner. We don't need another hero. We have Tina.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Flopcast 392: Topiary Joe

Okay, let's take a break from all that controversial train talk! It's finally time to catch up on some non-train stuff, including: Kornflake's Halloween (featuring a Yip-Yip costume, a giant boot, a Stan Lee pumpkin, and a jug band), Kevin's Halloween (featuring a classy chicken costume, weird movies in Vermont, Swamp Thing artist Stephen Bissette, and a turkey), Calista Flockhart's birthday (one of us knows Calista from Ally McBeal, and one of us knows her from Supergirl — you figure it out), and the long-awaited return of Chickens in the News! A giant chicken-shaped structure is being built in the middle of Georgia. And yeah, that probably means... FLOPCAST ROAD TRIP. Get in the van.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Flopcast 391: Train Talk With Ed, Part 2 - Trainsplaining

This week we're joined again by Ed, longtime friend of The Flopcast, Sponge Awareness Foundation keyboardist, and train expert from the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum! So yeah, that means more nerdy train talk! Learn the shocking truth behind the trains in pop culture classics like Stand By Me, Polar Express, Dumbo, School House Rock, and lots more. Does anyone know what happened to the train from Silver Spoons? (The shocking answer: No.) Can you ride a Boston train today that Next Karate Kid star Hilary Swank climbed on top of 25 years ago? (The shocking answer: Yes.) And which classic rock stars are also huge train geeks? (The shocking answer: Just about all of them, apparently.) All this plus plenty of immature giggling about "hump yards"! (It's a train thing.) So, you know, all aboard. You don't have to slip into a fancy train conductor uniform like Ed did... but it would be nice.