Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

The gifts are all purchased and wrapped, the food is mostly prepared (to be further prepared), the bags are packed for the trip to Gramma’s, and everything is ready for Christmas.  But don’t discount the joy of pre-Christmas hype on Christmas Eve.  Join shazbazzar and JediShua for a final 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro in 2018.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so do our EarBuds.  On Christmas Eve, the kids are already excited and might get up before Mom and Dad are ready to take on the day.  What are parents to do when the kids are up at 5 AM and really hungry?  Direct them to the cereal shelf in the pantry with a bowl, a spoon, and milk, and tell them to make their favorite Christmas Eve combination of cereals and watch cartoons.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Remember when you played last year’s Christmas gift (Atari, Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation, Game Cube, etc.) on Christmas Eve to get your mind off what might possibly be under the tree in the morning?  JediShua and shazbazzar take a peek back at several video games with snow themes and snow screens that are perfect for a “Sleigh Ride” with “Jingle Bells”.

 

EarBuds Toy Catalog: Mixed Bag

The results of the fourth bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in and some of the retro toys challenge the newer products.  From Speak and Spell to Whirly-Wheels, from Bop-Bags to Magic 8-Balls, the toys are as hot as Hot Wheels, bigger than Micro Machines, springier than a Slinky, and less talkative than Teddy Ruxpin.  Remember, even though it’s Christmas Eve, it’s never too late to give hints to loved ones.  Maybe you’ll get your winner tomorrow morning.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  We’ll be back next year, but if you’re looking for more content before then, check out some older episodes on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, or at TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.35.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

UnScrooged is what the Doctor would prescribe (if only he knew about it) for relief from holiday anxiety, reversing persistent frowns, rejuvenating old bones and muscles, and reviving memory centers.  This special 99-minute bonus episode is the longest UnScrooged to date, and perhaps the most potent.  You need to take a full dose today -- repeat as necessary during the winter holidays this year and every year.  There is no expiration date.

 

WARNING

A full dose of UnScrooged 2018

will likely cause some, if not all, of these side effects: 

  • rhythmic toe-tapping
  • chortling from chest and larynx
  • obsession with stuffing pockets with quarters and similarly sized coins
  • searching storage areas, attics, closets, and even online for He-Man figures and Castle Grayskull
  • compulsion to go to the nearest video arcade

If these symptoms are present in yourself or a loved one, do not panic -- simply help them find favorite toys, take them to a real video arcade, and encourage them to sing on key.  Who knows?  Maybe your loved one will be featured on a talent-seeking reality show and win a million dollar contract!

 

SuperFriends in UnScrooged 2018

  • Steve Glosson
  • Dennis Keithly
  • Adam O'Brien
  • Scott Ryfun
  • Jay Shepard
  • Tony Soehner
  • Hunter Wahl
  • Michael Witwer
Direct download: TRDads_UnScrooged2018.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Yule love this week’s show, even if you’re a Humbug!  Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol takes on an eighties upgrade with Bill Murray and Bobcat Goldthwait in Scrooged. Don’t wait for three ghosts to make you regret your choices today — tune in to TechnoRetro Dads early this morning, share, and enjoy all the fun and fandom with family, friends, and EarBuds for 77 minutes. 

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the cereal companies like special cereals for Christmas.  From the Cronut creator’s Christmas Morning Cereal to Lucky Charms Chocolatey Winter Cereal to Strawberry Krispies, the seasonal flavors are ready to be enjoyed by the spoonful (#ChillYourBowl).  Perhaps the reason Ebenezar Scrooge was so grumpy is the notable lack of Christmas cereal in his day.  

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Our super-sized celebration of Superman’s 40th (80th) anniversary last week left out a very important element: video games.  Superman’s video game debut was for the Atari 2600 console in the 1979 super-pixillated classic Superman.  Six years later, Superman: The Game (see what they did there?) was released for home computers.  To provide picky, pestering Scrooges with something worthy of complaint, the NES Superman game only had a vague resemblance to Superman in 1988.  That same year, a full-sized arcade version of the Man of Steel was released by Taito.  Best of all, the ultimate Superman video game has yet to arrive!

 

Scrooged 

Frank Cross (Bill Murray), a television network executive with more dollars than sensitivity, faces a long night of regrets, repentance, and redemption with visits from three time-traveling ghosts.  It’s A Christmas Carol for the ‘80s with a healthy, heaping spoonful of meta as life and fiction intersect on a live broadcast that’s likely to reduce at least one of the ‘Dads to tears — like, Niagara Falls!

 

EarBuds Toy Catalog: Creative Toys

The results of the third bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in as retrotastic toys that engaged the mind in creative ways went head-to-head in physics, chemistry, and engineering matchups that challenge the brain, hands, and eyes.  Knobby flat screens like Etch A Sketch faced the colorful three-dimensional Tinker Toys.  Artistic minds that need to knead found fun in yellow cans of Play-Doh as the modeling compound squared off against another drawing toy — Magnadoodle.  Tune in to see who won!

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  While you’re waiting for this year’s UnScrooged, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.34.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Faster than shazbazzar driving through Atlanta.  More powerful than JediShua’s art pen.  Look!  There, up in the sky, it’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s…Superman!  Standing for truth, justice, and the American Way, Superman continues to inspire the best in people — at least the 1978 version of Superman does.

 

Feedback

EarBuds both new and old (experienced?) send in their feedback to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com with comments and questions about TRON, animated giant robots in Force Five, and a discovery about JediShua’s weekly introduction.  

 

EarBuds Toy Catalog: Action Figures

The results of the second bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in as four sets of “action figures” of times past go head-to-head against each other (via EarBuds’ voting).  Madballs, Micronauts, Mego Superheroes, and Mattel’s He-Man and She-Ra lines face off for the EarBuds’ favorite.  With many more participants this week, the challenge was more intense.  Find out if the ‘70s or ‘80s take the prize in this episode! 

Sadly, the Mego Superheroes (including Superman) didn’t make it very far in this round, but you can always be a part of the brackets as these rounds continue over the next two weeks.  Keep checking various social media outlets for updates and ways you can vote for your favorite toys in the EarBuds Toy Catalog contest.

 

Superman (the Movie)

Christopher Reeve filled out the blue spandex (“That is one bad outfit!”) in 1978 as Superman is pitted against arch villain Lex Luthor in a real estate scuffle that brings out the best in Clark Kent.  Standing for truth, justice, and the American Way, the orphan from Krypton becomes the altruistic hero we all love as he saves the day for Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and everyone else in California when Otisville nearly becomes a reality. 

 

Vinyl Scratchback: Superman Soundtrack

The score for Superman helped make this movie iconic, branding Superman with the John Williams theme that can be recognized almost anywhere — even when sung a bit off-key!  In an era when disco was driving everyone wild, another orchestral score turned out to be a hit among movie goers.  

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  While you’re watching Superman, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.33.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s been over a week since Thanksgiving, and we’ve just awakened from the full-belly naps we’ve enjoyed over the holidays.  As college football season closes and anticipation arises for upcoming bowl games (Outback Bowl in Tampa, anyone?), the season’s greetings turn towards trees, snowmen, reindeer, and Santa Claus!  Don’t worry, we’re sure that Ernest Saves Christmas just in time (like he has for the past three decades).

In the NEWS

Looks like there’s something strange in the neighborhood for the third time according to Dan Aykroyd.  Ghostbusters 3 is confirmed to be a sequel to the original Ghostbusters movies from the ‘80s.  Great news!  Sadly, however, Bikini Bottom mourns the loss of SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg who ended his fight with ALS.  He was 57. 

 

EarBuds Toy Catalog: Games

The results of the first category of the EarBuds Toy Catalog brackets are in as four games of times past go head-to-head against each other (via EarBuds’ voting).  Hungry Hungry Hippos, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship, and the Nintendo Entertainment System face off for the EarBuds’ favorite.  Perhaps the ultimate winner isn’t all that unexpected.

But you can always be a part of the brackets as these rounds continue over the next two weeks.  Keep checking various social media outlets for updates and ways you can vote for your favorite toys in the EarBuds Toy Catalog contest.

 

SuperFriend Hunter Wahl

Laika’s newest addition to their amazing stop-motion features is coming this April, and SuperFriend Hunter Wahl joins us to tell us about the movie and gives us insight into behind-the-scenes activities that go into making a stop-motion feature in the 21st Century.  Missing Link will premier on April 12th of next year and we’re excited to see this movie.

 

Ernest Saves Christmas

Hunter (who was, at least in part, raised by a TechnoRetro Dad) sticks around for some fun chatter about Ernest Saves Christmas as Ernest P. Worrell helps Santa fulfill his mission to pass the torch (or magic sack) to the next Santa to carry on the tradition and ensure that Christmas continues.  Ernest Saves Christmas turns 30 this year as the iconic ‘80s character invented and portrayed by Jim Varney appears in what some consider his best movie role.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  While you’re watching Ernest Saves Christmas, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.32.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Thanksgiving is a time to remember and confess the things for which we are thankful, and thankfully, you’re still listening to TechnoRetro Dads even after this past Saturday’s Holiday Special!  Thanks for tuning in, EarBuds!  There’s enough in this episode for a full meal with leftovers to boot.

In the NEWS

It’s Thanksgiving week, so don’t forget to defrost that turkey NOW!  Laika discovers the Missing Link in an upcoming film (Hunter, one of JediShua’s former students, worked on this movie).  Fettmatic on Discord spotted the animated Dungeons & Dragons characters in maquette form through Iron Studios.  Jim Henson’s Christmas specials (Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas and The Bells of Fraggle Rock) are coming to theaters in December.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…even if the Golden Girls cereals are never gold.  Funko announces more colors for their very popular offering coming soon.  The Roving Spoonster (Shane in GR) has more bowls of cereal news this week, too!

  • Weet-Bix turns 90
  • Mr. Kellogg’s home is for sale in Tampa.
  • Sour Patch Kids Cereal is real.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Hunters and gamers could find common ground on Thanksgiving in 1984 with Nintendo’s release of Duck Hunt in arcades and at home.  An effective light-sensing zapper allows players to shoot digital ducks and pixelated clay pigeons on CRT monitors in a fun (and sometimes frustrating) game that everyone can play.  However, the dog can be a jerk.

 

Thanksgiving Television

From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning to the holiday specials (nope, not that Holiday Special — see last Saturday for that one), while Gramma works in the kitchen, the kids and dads watch TV with traditional programming that marks the fourth Thursday in November.  Dallas and Detroit are sure to play and Bugs plays “Diet Doctor” in a Looney Tunes special.

 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, but when you’re out-of-town trying to get home to be with your loved ones and transportation problems threaten your relaxing holiday, you may have to team up with a stranger to make everything work out.  Steve Martin and John Candy star in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a John Hughes film.  Everyone has met “that guy” — just a common, ordinary guy who doesn’t seem to have everything figured out as much as he thinks he does.  He means well and has a positive attitude, but his optimism doesn’t always work out.  Settle down for raucous laughter with family and friends for a gut-busting good time this weekend with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.31.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Forty years ago today, 17 November 2018, The Star Wars Holiday Special aired for its one and only appearance on television.  For years, fans have sought out black market copies of the program in order to see it for themselves.  As for the TechnoRetro Dads, they have adored this heart-warming story for four decades.  

 

Today, thanks to a discovery in Ralph McQuarrie’s personal items in 2012, shazbazzar and JediShua present a rendition of an early story treatment of the Star Wars Holiday Special as made available on StarWarsHolidaySpecial.com.  

 

We hope you will share and enjoy this audio tribute to the “Could’ve Been but Wasn’t Actually the Star Wars Holiday Special”.

 

Special thanks to:

High Adventure “Light the Sky on Fire” and “Happy Life Day”

Supernova “Chewbacca”

Donny & Marie Osmond

Kevin Rubio TROOPS

Battlestar Galactica

CHipS

Mork & Mindy

Wheel of Fortune

WKRP in Cincinnati

 

Starring:

  • JediShua -- Narrator
  • Jessizzar -- Operator
  • shazbazzar -- Mechanical Jawa
  • Mrs. Shua -- Captain Rockie Welchel
  • Joe Tavano -- Sauna-Mann
Direct download: TRDads_LifeDay2018.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT

Hobbits, a Dragon’s Lair, and The Lord of the Rings make for a great Dungeons & Dragons campaign in the ‘70s and ‘80s as shazbazzar and JediShua take a trip back 40 years (and more) into the past for this episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

Feedback

From the Misfits of Science to pumpkins, from snowmen to bubblegum, and a brand new mini-store from the people who brought us Toys ‘R’ Us — several EarBuds send pics and electronic-Ms about several things we’ve been talking about (and should be talking about).

 

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Animator Ralph Bakshi committed J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to film in 1978 with a combination of animation styles from traditional cels to rotoscoping to make a very ‘70s movie that challenged young viewers and made an imprint on impressionable young minds.  Even Peter Jackson was not immune to the magic of Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings, evident in his 2001 version of the first third of the story with scenes derived from this mind-blowing masterpiece that kept kids coming back for more.   

 

Vinyl Scratchback

When JediShua introduced shazbazzar to “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”, the younger ‘Dad sought out more music from Leonard Nimoy, and shazbazzar discovered the album Spaced Out featuring Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.  With original songs and covers of popular tunes, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock got groovy in the late ‘60s with an album that boldly went where no record had gone before.  

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Sword and sorcery continue in the arcade with the impressive and challenging Don Bluth cartoon video game Dragon’s Lair.  For only two quarters, gamers could control Dirk the Daring in his quest to rescue Princess Daphne from the Dragon’s Lair.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.30.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The pumpkins have fallen out of fashion, Christmas commercials invaded televisions the day after Halloween, the smell of peppermint is in the air, and it won’t be long before there’s enough snow on the ground to build a snowman.  Do you want to?  You know… build a snowman?

 

In the NEWS

A YouTube channel has compiled “all” Ready Player One references in one gigantic video list.  You can soon build your own virtual reality bedroom (Ready Player One style) will memorabilia, movies, TV shows, and even classic video games!  Beetlejuice is now a musical stage production on its way to Broadway.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Star Wars landed on home game consoles everywhere in 1982 with the release of The Empire Strikes Back, a scrolling shooter that pitted players’ snowspeeders against AT-ATs on the march towards Echo Base.  The low-resolution game (hey, it was 1982) did not diminish game play in the least.  The walkers looked like walkers.  The snowspeeder looked like a snowspeeder.  The snow-covered terrain looked like snow-covered terrain.  And the FORCE… Well, it was multicolored flashing and had cool music.  The Empire Strikes Back on Atari may not have been “winnable”, but it sure did provide hours of fun reliving the “Battle in the Snow”.

 

Saturday Mornings

In 1985, Bill Watterson brought the dark imagination of a small boy to life in the funny papers under the title Calvin and Hobbes.  Calvin, a bright, energetic, and playful boy, teamed up with his striped friend Hobbes to remake the world as they wanted it to be.  From transmogrification to snowmen in somewhat disturbing positions, Calvin and Hobbes kept parents on their toes as the pair (?) delivered joy to newspaper subscribers every day as the paperboy completed his neighborhood route.  JediShua and shazbazzar recall some memorable “snowman” strips from the ‘80s and ‘90s.  (Thanks for the idea, Russ!)

 

They Live

Evil-Lynn returns from Masters of the Universe to fill her role in this John Carpenter film from thirty years ago.  They Live is a creepy look at ‘80s culture through the eyes of the filmmaker as Carpenter warns his audience of the dangers lurking beneath the surface in our capitalistic economy.  But theater-goers weren’t as interested in the underlying message of the director (who claimed the film is a documentary), they just wanted to be entertained by the likes of pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.  From muscles to mullet to mouthing-off, Roddy Piper drew in audiences to see this sci-fi thriller about friendship, aliens, magic glasses, and street brawling.  Featuring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster, They Live is an essential part of ‘80s pop culture.

 

Feedback

  • Jedi Holmes presents One Punch Man.
  • Jack o’ Lanterns
  • Matt Marks shows off his designs.
  • Armando discovers an amazing carving.
  • Raising Fangirls shows off some cool creations, too.
  • Even “Little ‘A’s” has a round rendition of retroism for her orange gourd.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.29.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

He’s the ghost with the most: a moldy, decaying, concoction of phlegm and philandery who is eager to help rid your home of those pesky living people who can make your death a living hell.  Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Beetlejuice in the 1988 film rapidly became a staple of late ‘80s pop culture and continues to be recognized today.  From the film to television to the toy aisles, Beetlejuice wormed his way into our homes and lives in one way or another (or all three).

In the NEWS

Warner Brothers cuts Six Billion Dollars in upgrades as the anticipated and updated Steve Austin movie gets yanked from their release schedule.  News from Thra continues to enthrall fans of The Dark Crystal as producers confirm that the upcoming Netflix series will be free from computer generated effects.  That galaxy far, far away draws ever nearer as China plans to build an artificial moon (“That’s no moon.”) and NASA floats the concept of Cloud City on Venus in future plans.  Christmas presents are already being anticipated with Target’s Big Book, an announcement about a Toys ‘R’ Us reemergence, and a Kurt Russell Christmas movie.  There is a lot to talk about in the world of #TechnoRetro goodness!

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the Roving Spoonster has bowls full of sweet breakfast goodies to share with a unique cereal cup, Golden Girls cereal, a Canadian pop-up cereal cafe, and the first Christmas-based cereal to hit store shelves. 

 

Beetlejuice

Tim Burton’s 1988 Halloweenish movie (released in March of that year) introduced movie-goers to a disgusting and deadly creature from the other side who enjoys scaring the life out of the living in Beetlejuice.  Stinky, filthy, and foul-mouthed, Beetlejuice specializes in his own brand of haunting in this unique and oddly funny addition to the ever-growing library of movies you might enjoy around Halloween.  If you’ve never seen Beetlejuice, take a trip down to your local video rental store and grab a VHS for viewing this Wednesday.  Parental guidance definitely suggested.

 

Saturday Mornings

From the silver screen to the small screen, kids could get in on the fun of Beetlejuice in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, too.  The animated version of the green-haired weirdo from who-knows-when engaged younger viewers who may have missed the Michael Keaton version when they turned on their TVs on Saturday mornings.  Voiced by Stephen Ouimette, the titular antagonizer isn’t quite as villainous as his live-action counterpart, but the grodinous of the character isn’t a far cry from the 1988 version.

 

Toys in the Attic

Not enough Beetlejuice for you, EarBuds?  Perhaps you remember the action figures that featured Beetlejuice in various outfits from the film as well as his “friends” in the netherworld.  From film to television to plastic, Beetlejuice continued to entice the unsuspecting world to call out his name three times so he could wreak havoc on the land of the living.

 

Feedback

We’re able to dip into the mail bag for some great pics of Jack o’ Lanterns created by our EarBuds.  You can view them on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.28.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dungeons & Dragons was part of every GenXer’s experience growing up, whether they played the game or not.  From the “Satanic Panic” to the toys, magazines, and cartoon, D&D prevailed in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  Even today, as comic book stores and specialty shops host in-house role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons continues to be an important part of pop culture.  This week, shazbazzar and JediShua invite SuperFriend Michael Witwer to talk about Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana, his second publication centered around this “Daddy of Modern Gaming”.

 

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana

Co-authored by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer, this oversized hardcover focuses on the artwork essential to understanding a game that was often played with little more than a pencil, some paper, strangely-shaped dice, and a lot of imagination.  Yet, as the book’s subtitle proclaims, this 400+ page tome is more than a high-quality art book, it is indeed a Visual History of the game itself as well as its impact on the culture of the ‘70s and ‘80s and even today.  The history of the game and its various editions runs throughout the course of the book, as original artwork from the ‘70s to the ‘10s fills every page in brilliant, full color reproductions.

From artwork created for the game itself to images surrounding the game, such as actual advertisements and flyers, photographs of items that inspired aspects of the game, and even early drafts and sketches of the game’s most memorable features, Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana is a treasure worthy of the adventure — and it’s available for purchase tomorrow.

Join shazbazzar and JediShua as they talk to co-author Michael Witwer about the contents of the book, its origins, and general discussion about Dungeons & Dragons itself.  TechnoRetro Dads recommend not only the book itself, but (if you can get a copy, the Special Edition of the book with some great ephemera for those with a penchant for history and rarities of days gone by).  You’ll love Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana — and we hope you enjoy this episode of TechnoRetro Dads, too.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t get burned by missing a single  episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.27.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The winds and rains ceased, but the trees kept tumbling down after Hurricane Michael pounded the SouthEast last week, but even with the lights out, shazbazzar got his MacGyver on by fashioning a light from a pumpkin, a candle, and a knife.  Discover more about October Oddities and a classic ‘80s TV show on this “better late than never” episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

 

In the NEWS

  • MondoTees.com goes Back to the Future
  • Some cool TechnoRetro parents BTTF their twins
  • Aquaman mini-movie excites audiences
  • Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance update

 

October Oddity: Jack o’ Lanterns

From the Irish folk tales of “Stingy Jack” to front porch adornments, Jack o’ Lanterns have a rich history that will surely surprise you.

 

Halloween Candy

With the ingenuity of MacGyver, Jack o’ Lanterns were transformed from actual pumpkins with carved faces with lights inside into plastic buckets for carrying candy for Trick or Treaters.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember some of the popular candies from the ‘80s to warm up your sweet tooth and get you ready for the upcoming holiday.

 

MacGyver “The Secret of Parker House”

The secret agent with an engineer’s mind solved problems each week on MacGyver for seven seasons from the ‘80s to the ‘90s.  Thirty years ago, MacGyver aired a spooky episode for Halloween with mystery, music, intrigue, and a skeleton.  How will Angus “Mac” MacGyver save Penny from certain doom?  Find out as we spoil the ending of “The Secret of Parker House”.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t let the ghosts of the ‘70s and ‘80s fade from your memory by missing an episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.26.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT

Whether you need something to pick up your spirits or make ghosts float, the hair-raising spookiness of this week’s TechnoRetro Dads will possess you with urges for cereal and cartoons, snack cakes and TV shows, toys, games, and even more canned laughter.  Cover your eyes and plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and the ‘Dads will heighten your October outlook with fun and frights (and few insights) this morning or tonight. 

 

In the NEWS

Star Wars is all over the news this week and it looks like TechnoRetro Dads are the last to cover it when it’s actually new.  Besides Star Wars Reads Month, the ‘Dads speculate on rumors surrounding The Mandalorian, a live-action series helmed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s part in the series (of course, since recording this episode, much more information has been forthcoming).  But not all the news is old Star Wars news.  Oh, no!  EarBud T-Bird provides even older news for the ‘Dads with 3500 year-old ingredients for pumpkin spice (or is it purple-yam pie spice?).  Now that’s news!

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the Roving Spoonster loves fruity-shaped Trix coming back some twenty years after being discontinued, JediShua loves looking for Elvira cereal by Funko, and shazbazzar loves getting visions of ghosts from his past upon seeing a picture of a box of OJ cereal.

 

October Oddity: Pop-Culture Ghosts

Although their presence is sensed throughout the year, our cultural fascination with ghosts only increases during the month of October.  People love getting spooked by the idea of discorporate beings floating around to advise, prank, or otherwise involve themselves in the daily lives of the living.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember some pop-culture ghosts from their childhood.  Strangely, the ghosts of Poltergeist and Ob-Wan from The Empire Strikes Back didn’t jump out at them.  It’s at times like these when there’s something strange in TechnoRetro minds that you just ask yourself, “Who am I gonna call?”

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

In 1988, Capcom released the third arcade game in the Ghosts ’n Goblins series of games, Ghouls ’n Ghosts.  Arthur the knight must once again rescue his sweetheart Princess Prin Prin from the clutches of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and other inhabitants of the Great Demon World Village.  This time, Arthur’s abilities increase as do the opponents who attack him from the underworld and the damage they can inflict if he doesn’t DUCK!

 

Saturday Mornings

When the world outside your window is just a bit too normal on a Saturday morning, you could embrace the paranormal with The Real Ghostbusters, the animated version of the characters introduced in the 1984 movie Ghostbusters.  Egon, Venkman, Ray, and Winston are joined by Slimer and a host of other ghosts in every episode of The Real Ghostbusters were gleefully welcomed to the televisions of kids in the mid-eighties to early-nineties.

 

Toys in the Attic

Not only did The Real Ghostbusters find their place on the small screen during this time, but they graced the pegs and shelves of toy stores and toy boxes in kids’ rooms everywhere.  Like many movies and TV shows of the time (Star Wars, Transformers, G.I. Joe), The Real Ghostbusters seized the opportunity to turn plastic ghosts into profits with Kenner figures that enabled kids to continue the adventures of Slimer, Ray, Winston, Peter, and Egon as they interact with the paranormal in an effort to protect the public (for a fee, of course).

 

Feedback

EarBuds submit questions, ideas, and memories through electronic-M, Twitter, and Discord about a variety of techno and retro topics.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t let the ghosts of the ‘70s and ‘80s fade from your memory by missing an episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.25.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Welcome to October, EarBuds!  Pass through the creaky garden gate and step cautiously as you wind your way along the weedy cobblestone path.  Once you’ve passed under the schpooky tree from whence Gramma gained her schtick, step up on the porch and open the door to our haunted house party for a month of creepy-crawly kooky fun.  Only 30 days ’til Hallowe’en! 

 

In the NEWS

Star Wars is all over the news this week as Gary Kurtz is fondly remembered by family, friends, and fans alike.  From American Graffiti to Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back to The Dark Crystal, Gary Kurtz produced many great memories of our childhood.  Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge is garnering attention as the countdown to the launch of “Star Wars Land” continues.  Luke Skywalker dons the garb of a Knight Templar in the History Channel’s Knightfall.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and some cereal would be right at home in the pantry of any reputable haunted house.  In addition to the annual appearance of General Mills’ Monster Cereals, Reese’s Puffs adds some seasonal spice to its appearance with Reese’s Puffs Bats.  

The Roving Spoonster keeps us updated on the cereal trademark controversy Down Under as a judgment is made in the Weet-Bix vs Weetabix conundrum plaguing Australasia in New Zealand.

 

October Oddity: Haunted House

All month, the ‘Dads will talk about the marks of the Hallowe’en (Halloween) season with their memories of the traditional fare that can send chills up your spine and warm your heart at the same time.  This week, we dare to journey into a haunted house (or two, or three, or…) from the ‘80s when everyone paid to be afraid.  Whether your experience was in a mall or storefront location, a dilapidated old house or building, an amusement park or carnival ride, or even out in the woods, the Haunted House continues to be an iconic part of October.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Atari gathered their pixels to join this haunted house party, too, with their Adventure-like maze/puzzle cartridge for the Atari 2600, Haunted House.  This game program features four floors of fun (?) for gamers who move their square eyes around in the dark to find Mr. Graves’ urn so they can escape his haunted house.  Watch out for ghosts, bats, and spiders in this confusing and challenging game from 1982.

 

Toys in the Attic

Finally, shazbazzar and JediShua tone down the scare factor just a tad with miniature versions of the haunted house.  From the Weebles Haunted House to Colorforms Castle Dracula to Ideal’s Haunted House game and Disney’s Haunted Mansion Game, these plastic, vinyl, and cardboard toys and games are not for those easily frightened by glowing ghosts, hooting owls, or wobbly witches.  Oh, and don’t forgey Remco’s Mini-Monsters!

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t be afraid of missing an episode of spooky and kooky trips to the ‘70s and ‘80s — subscribe to TechoRetro Dads on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.24.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Now that Autumn has fallen upon us, you’re permitted to savor the flavor of the season — so grab a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Frosted Flakes and settle in for 77 minutes of fun in past, present, and future tense on this episode of TechnoRetro Dads (where time-traveling takes a clever and curious turn in the 1984 sci-fi spoof Ice Pirates). 

 

In the NEWS

  • Henry Cavill may still be super after all!
  • The Monkees’ Christmas album is coming soon!
  • Jordan Peele takes Rod Serling’s place!
  • TechnoRetro Dads apparel and merch at TeePublic!

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and cereal flavored donuts from a certain fast food chain.  Yep, shazbazzar taste-tests the Froot Loops mini donuts from Hardees and the results are in!  The Roving Spoonster reports with monstrous cereal/adult beverage mash-ups and Kellogg’s acknowledgement and correction to their sexist marketing.  PLUS: EarBuds tell about what’s in their cereal aisles and JediShua discovers the next fall flavor trend at Cereal Box, Inc.

Of course, the discussion deteriorates into the scourge of the season, pumpkin spice, with a few undocumented “memories” of how the flavor imbedded itself into pop-culture over the decades on TV, radio, and the big screen.

 

Ice Pirates

In the far flung reaches of outer space in a distant future, a band of private entrepreneurs embark on a quest to open convenient $2 ice shacks along the space lanes in Ice Pirates.  Actually, no, that’s not the plot of the campy Stewart Raffill flick from 1984 that continues the trend of pushing the limits of what audiences will pay for at the box office on the heels of Return of the Jedi.  Starring Robert Urich, Mary Crosby, Michael D. Roberts, and more familiar faces from the mid-80s, Ice Pirates threatens to raid your freezer while pillaging your wallet to cash in on the continuing craze for space-movies combined with a taste of Police Academy comedy.

SuperFriend Adam O’Brien (The Fantha from Down Under) joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a chat about Ice Pirates with some stunning revelations about how the movie came to be the campy ‘80s spoof we remember from childhood.  Can you believe that Ice Pirates was initially slated to be a serious attempt at a science fiction film?  Find out how and why the script was altered to become classic camp that still elicits a laugh with its illicit humor aimed squarely at teenage boys in 1984.  Target acquired: it’s a hit! 

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Keep sailing the high seas (and space lanes) with Ice Pirates and share us with your friends and families.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.23.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Chris Hamilton kicks off this Monday morning with a little ditty called, “Mamma’s in the Minivan” from his Boogie Child album.  And that’s just the beginning of the insanity this week, since "Talk Like a Pirate Day” is coming up Wednesday and the ‘Dads are already getting into the spirit of things by stealing several minutes from this week’s show in their high seas hijinks!  Whether you feel like Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook, or Captain Power, you’re sure to feel the waves breaking the ocean of the internet with this very odd episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

 

In the NEWS

Henry Cavill gets an opportunity to continue being the villain with rumors that his cape has been torn away from him as Superman stands to be recast.  Jonathan Clark (no, shaz, not the one from Man of Steel) gets down to boogie with other retro celebrities on Dancing with the Stars.  Sir Paul McCartney churns out yet another album with Egypt Station.  Nerdist suggests a fun drink for your Monster Cereal Tiki cups.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and young Oliver does, too!  However, both the ‘Dads and the Roving Spoonster question this youth’s taste in cereals.  But that’s not the big cereal news this week.  Nope.  The big news is that Oliver found an eight inch bran flake in his cereal box!  Huge.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a blend of ‘80s TV show, action figures and toys, and interactive video game.  One of several “blast the screen” interactive games that gained some popularity in the mid- to late-eighties, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future merged live-action television with electronic plug-in gaming for additional excitement for your Saturday mornings.  Thanks to Jedi Holmes for introducing us to this one!   

 

Feedback

Derek (Raising Fangirls) remembers NFL Quarterback Club for Nintendo64.  Jorbex rebukes us for not remembering “Weird” Al Yankovic’s UHF.  Kendall remembers the local UHF channel.  Fettmatic, Jorbex, and Joey all chime in with their lunch box memories.  

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.22.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Are you ready for some football?  Ready or not, the football season has arrived.  As tonight marks the beginning of Monday Night Football, shazbazzar and JediShua are dealing with all sorts of activities surrounding and honoring the festivity of the oblong ball.  So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds for 77 minutes of joyful reminiscing and hopeful anticipation of some of the funner things in life.

 

In the NEWS

 

We Love Our Cereal…

  • Healthy Cereals Questioned (Roving Spoonster)
  • Hardee’s Cereal Questions (Roving Spoonster)
  • P______kin S____ce Cheerios (Roving Spoonster)

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

When video games mimic actual sports and games the results could be good or bad.  If the game play is similar enough to the real thing, sports fans may love it…but geeky gamers may not.  However, if the game fails to closely resemble the actual sport, fans may reject the game but gamers may love the concept.  With a variety of Football video games in arcades and home consoles in the ‘70s and ‘80s the hits and misses are to be expected, but the value of nostalgia — that’s where the magic happens!

  • Atari Football (arcade)
  • Cyberball (arcade)
  • Atari 2600 Football
  • Realsports Football for Atari
  • Mattel Football

 

Saturday Morning

Fall ushers in school, football, and new seasons and series on television.  JediShua and shazbazzar take a look back at the big three networks’ fall lineup on Saturday mornings thirty years ago.

 

Toys in the Attic

Non-Expanding Recreational Foam doesn’t sound like a great toy at first, but when it’s pronounced “NERF” you know that fun is the game.  Created by Parker Brothers in 1969, NERF continues to thrill kids and adults with their made-for-indoor-play balls, darts, boomerangs, swords, and more.  Of course, shazbazzar and JediShua kick off this discussion with NERF football, basketball, and bullets, but the stories continue with ping-pong, billiards, and other NERF products not everyone remembers.  But everyone remembers the fun of NERF.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

 

Direct download: TRDads_06.21.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

One of the greatest things about elementary school was the school cafeteria.  The smells, the lighting, the squat milk cartons, and the sounds of metal lunchboxes opening somewhat simultaneously.  As the latches released and the hinges creaked, the anticipation grew as kids looked inside to see what their moms had packed for them.  Just wait till you see what the ‘Dads have packed into this episode of TechnoRetro Dads. 

 

In the NEWS

 

We Love Our Cereal…

  • Roth in Wyoming @ The Cereal Box, Inc.
  • Froot Loops clothing (Roving Spoonster)
  • “Healthy cereals” (Roving Spoonster)
  • Pop Tarts cereal (Roving Spoonster)

 

https://youtu.be/8GFeHrENnfQ 

School Lunch: Lunchboxes and Snack Cakes

JediShua consumes the calories of some of the ‘Dads’ favorite snacks from their school days after discussing the history of lunchboxes (metal, vinyl, and plastic), their own lunchboxes, and the lunchboxes of several EarBuds.  From Mickey Mouse to Hopalong Cassidy to Luke Skywalker and Luke Duke, the cafeteria was a funner place (yes, Shua said, “funner”) with the heavily decorated lunchboxes of days gone by.  With input from Puddingsbane, Chris the Arvadinian, Jedi Holmes, Shane in GR, Courtney Martin, Joe Tavano, Fettmatic, Kendall Shroeder, and Bill from DorkLair, our virtual lunchboxes are filled with 

 

Vinyl Scratchback

This week in 1978 and 1988 had some memorable hits from Olivia Newton-John, Huey Lewis and the News, Robert Palmer, Whitney Houston, and George Michael.  Both shazbazzar and JediShua show their knowledge and lack thereof regarding these artists, their songs, and the videos.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.20.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

After Star Wars thrilled audiences in theaters, everyone wanted to tap into the collective consciousness of pop culture that had embraced that galaxy far, far away.  Some saw an opportunity to for storytelling in an exciting new way while others simply rushed out to cash in with anything somewhat similar to Star Wars.  How Battle Beyond the Stars fits into those categories must be judged by the eye of the beholder, however, shazbazzar, JediShua, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman agree that without Star Wars, Battle Beyond the Stars would never have seen the light of day.

 

Battle Beyond the Stars

On the surface, Battle Beyond the Stars is a fitting tribute to the popularity of Star Wars.  A tyrant with a planet destroying “super-weapon” threatens to destroy Akir, a planet populated by peaceful folk with no weapons.  A young “farm boy” named Shad (Richard Thomas) volunteers to find willing fighters for his aged mentor, the last Akira warrior (Jeff Corey) before Sador (John Saxon) returns.  Add a rogue’s gallery of a space cowboy (George Peppard), a Valkyrie (Sybil Danning), a dangerous-looking creature (Morgan Woodward), a wealthy assassin (Robert Vaughn), five hive-minded clones (Earl Boen et al), and a beautiful love interest (Darlanne Fluegel) and you get a Magnificent Seven worthy of Kurosawa’s namesake.

 

Beyond the caricatures, names, and concepts similar to the original Star Wars (1977), Battle Beyond the Stars borrows heavily from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954).  Those familiar with the origins of Star Wars will immediately recognize that George Lucas based his initial space opera on The Hidden Fortress (1958), another Kurosawa film.  In this regard, Battle Beyond the Stars delves deeply into the planetary crust in this spacey adaptation of a Star Wars influence.

 

Share and enjoy this special episode of TechnoRetro Dads as Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a fun, loving, and fun-loving look back at Battle Beyond the Stars.

Direct download: TRDads_SW_Aftershocks_BBTS.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Whether you’ve been lost in Pine Apple, Alabama or busy blasting Asteroids in outer space, it’s time to get up, grab your supplies, and head out to school because summer vacation is gone — at least summer vacation 1988 is over.  But with kids returning to school, we thought it would be cool to recall some classic ‘80s essentials while trading tips about how to (and how not to) play Atari’s Asteroids.  All this and a look back at 1988’s summer cinema fare, too!  All it will cost you is 77 minutes — so tune in.

 

In the NEWS

Remembering Aretha Franklin and Charlotte Rae

Peter Weller may return as RoboCop.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and our Roving Spoonster, Shane in GR suggests a popping-good time with his discovery of a Sea of Thieves styled “cereal cannon”, a collage of his daughters’ cereal tarts from his commercial, and a report of “on-the-go” cereals from General Mills and Nestle. 

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

JediShua fondly remembers Atari’s 1979 vector-based arcade hit Asteroids while shazbazzar flees the scene in inexplicable panic.  Asteroids, a rather simplistic game that is fraught with harrowing consequences from any false move, continues to challenge and thrill visitors to any video arcade.  Maybe shaz will learn to quit hitting the thrust button.

 

Let’s Go to the Movies

EarBuds chime in with their memories of movies from the summer of 1988:

Above the Law

Beetlejuice*

Big

The Blob

Bloodsport

Coming to America

Crocodile Dundee II

Die Hard

A Fish Called Wanda

Funny Farm

Police Academy 5

Poltergeist 3

Rambo III

Red Heat

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Willow

Young Guns

 

School Supplies

Gear for your feet, your Trapper Keeper, and your pencil box — and all of it was plastic!  Going back to school meant school supplies and in the ‘80s that meant stickers, shoes of the Jelly kind, shaped erasers, and more.  The ‘Dads remember some common school-day fare and fashion that made the end of summer a little easier to bear.

 

Feedback

From Garfield to Opus to Foofur, the EarBuds chimed in with their “Pooh Bears” and stuffies from childhood.  Find out what Glen Nelson, Mike MacDonald, and Mark Ham(All) have in common with JediShua before hearing an endearing tale of a love lost and gained with the help of a friend of Melmac thanks to Steven Chopchik and Gordon Shumway.  After all, we all want to know what happened to Alf after the final cliffhanger episode.  Maybe he was attacked by cat-shaped asteroids!

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.19.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

From the stories by A. A. Milne to Walt Disney’s adaptations, Winnie the Pooh has been a joyful childhood classic for nearly one hundred years.  The ‘Dads are certainly fans of these imaginative stories.  Mixed with tears and laughter, Christopher Robin continues the tradition with a story of Pooh’s grown-up friend’s return to the Hundred Acre Wood in a movie that thrills audiences of any age.  

 

In the NEWS

Patrick Stewart returns to Star Trek.

Star Trek Discovery comes to Blu Ray and DVD.

Supergirl returns to the big screen.

More Carrie Fisher footage coming to Episode IX.

Jon Favreau’s Star Wars gets a big budget.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so does EarBud Brian who has found Funko Pop cereals.  PLUS: Hear the cereal commercials for the contest and find out who wins the grand prize!  Thanks to all who participated.  Keep sending in your imaginative radio commercials to TechnoRetro Dads — even when there is no contest.  We love them!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Mac from Canadia submits a short dystopian playlist (probably because the world ended as he was making it) with tunes from the Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Johnny Cash and U2, and The Specials.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

JediShua and shazbazzar focus on video games that were featured in movies but don’t exist — or at least they didn’t exist when the movies came out.  From Wreck-It Ralph to The Last Starfighter to WarGames to TRON to Ready Player One, everyone wants a shot at playing the games the characters played on the silver screen.  Come on, game designers, let’s get these made!

 

Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh

Now that both TechnoRetro Dads have seen Disney’s new Christopher Robin movie with their families, it’s time to talk about Christopher Robin and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  Disney’s adaptations of the written word and artist illustrations to film never fail to excite the emotions, entertain the brain, and provide a lasting theme.  JediShua and shazbazzar continue to love the “silly old bear” in this ingenious live-action feature.  We think you will, too.

 

Toys in the Attic

Like Christopher Robin, shazbazzar and JediShua had their own cast of characters with stuffed toys from their childhood days.  From popular characters to homemade toys from garage sales, these plush and plump friends provided endless hours of play and creativity that the ‘Dads fondly remember decades later.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.18.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Even though summer vacation is winding down, summer is still in full effect as shazbazzar and JediShua enjoy their last full week before school starts back again at the beach, at the arcade, and in a puppetry museum in South Metropolis.

 

In the NEWS

Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation lands on Supergirl with Sam Witwer.  Biff joins the cast of Legends of Tomorrow.  Anakin ends his stint on Timeless.  An Indiana cornfield emerges from Stranger Things’ Upside-Down.  Transformers: The Movie returns to theaters next month.  Billy Vann from The Hilarious House of Frightenstein is honored in a museum.  Cats’ nine lives will soon be tested if a new ALF series gets the green light for television.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and EarBuds do, too.  The Cereal Commercial Contest continues with a few submissions, but you still have time to send us your 30-60 second spot.  Imagine a cereal and waffle dessert while playing a Monster Cereals’ card game in your brand new cereal sneakers with a bowl of quinoa before realizing that Coco Pops drops 40% of their sugar content.

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Summer vacations need their own playlists, and EarBud Andy Lindemann has one for his trip to Pensacola Beach before returning to his responsibilities at school.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

JediShua and shazbazzar are introduced to the “portable” Vectrex video game system from the early ‘80s.  PLUS: Robocop is added to the TechoRetro Arcade.

 

Feedback

Jedi Holmes shares his Godzilla knowledge.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.17.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Greetings, PROGRAMS!

 

The greatest dystopia is when the story ends with a brighter hope for the future.  Comic Con always has some exciting things to enjoy now and in the future.  This year, one of the first panels celebrated ten years of The Clone Wars with a stunning announcement: The Clone Wars will return with promises of a fitting conclusion to this Emmy award-winning animated series.

 

In the NEWS

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Shazam, Godzilla, and Aquaman have exciting trailers to get everyone hyped for the movies.  Matt Groenig and Neil deGrasse Tyson fans are promised with the introduction of Disenchanted and the return of Cosmos.  And in a stunning move that has had a positive effect on Star Wars fandom, Lucasfilm announced the return of The Clone Wars with 12 new episodes to air on the upcoming Disney streaming service.

 

The Clone Wars

JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Clone Wars, describing their affection for the series as well as giving reasons for anyone who missed out on the first 6 seasons to go back NOW and catch some of the best Star Wars ever on Netflix (so Disney can know how valuable great storytelling can be for the company).  From character development to amazing revelations about the Force to the story behind that cool reveal at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story, more than 40 hours of Star Wars content is currently at the fingertips of anyone with access to Netflix.

 

Disappearing Dystopia

As the summer of dystopia dwindles to its inevitable close and the sunrise of school lingers just beyond the horizon, the ‘Dads take a final look at some notable, retrotastic, dystopian movies, shows, books, and radio dramas.  The Running Man, Total Recall, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ice Pirates, V, 12 Monkeys, and Max Headroom all find their home in the annals of dystopian fun.

 

Feedback

Chris the Arvadinian and Andy Lindemann love Herculoids.  Shane in Grand Rapids shows us Karate Kid action figures.  Kendall chimes in with a Ready Player One video and a cool retro Kickstarter from Matt Kindt.  JediHolmes provides another cool video — a 2112 motion comic from Rush’s website.  And the Spider-Pan from Neverland ices the dystopian cake with a high school class on the various types of futures from dystopias to negative utopias and the differences between the two.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.16.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Summertime is a funner time with your EarBuds, as long as the internet is being friendly.  Take a 77 minute trip with TechnoRetro Dads along for the ride on your family vacation for a dystopic change of pace this Monday morning afternoon.

 

In the NEWS

Ready Player One arrives in stores tomorrow.  Robocop returns in the future.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

Do not eat those Honey Smacks!  No matter how much you “Dig ‘em." 

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Distopian and Pre-Dystopian tunes are on the playlist this week with “Mr. Roboto” by Styx, Rush’s “2112”, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” by R.E.M., “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads, “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire or Joey Scarbury, and Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.

 

Let’s Go to the Movies

JediShua and shazbazzar mix-and-mash yesterday’s dystopian characters with today’s heroic movies.  Where did they come up with that?

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

The Anato No Warehouse in Japan is a journey into a dystopian cityscape with arcade amusement games everyone can enjoy.  Dress appropriately.

 

Feedback

Funko Pops cereal, Mego toys, and Fraggle Rock.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share with others on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.15.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT

Remember a time when arcade games could capture your imagination so effectively that read-along books with cassette tapes and even “radio drama” styled records would draw dollars out of you faster than you could put a quarter in the slot?  This week is just like that.  As the Zardonians prepare for the Krytolian attack, shazbazzar and JediShua train cadets for Missile Command.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and JediShua got some cool swag at Cereal Box, inc for his birthday (and for our EarBuds), so stay tuned for more on that…

In the meantime, shazbazzar talks about his experience with Post Nilla Wafers Banana Pudding cereal and JediShua enjoys a bowl of Lion Cereal with a Cap’n Crunch Slurpee to wash it down.  PLUS: loads of information from our Roving Spoonster Shane in GR and other cereal correspondents Jeffrey Fischbach and Jonathan Bell. 

 

Saturday Mornings

The Herculoids have always been a favorite of shazbazzar and JediShua, and with their amalgamation of style (prehistory fused with the future), the cartoon looks a bit dystopia.  The eight-member team is heavily weighted against the humans on this super team of good guys.

 

History Lesson

In May 2013, shazbazzar mentioned a movie’s release on May 20, 1983.  That movie was Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.  Guess what?  We watch it again.

 

The Future’s Not So Bright (Dystopian Summer)

If Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone even remotely resembles the future, we’re all going to be disappointed. That’s nothing against the 1983 film’s effects, props, story, or acting chops and everything with all the bad things that happen to Wolff and Niki during their 3-D adventures in the Forbidden Zone.  Even if you’ve never seen this movie, you should check out the discussion.  It’s a good movie!

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Atari’s Missile Command put the power in your hands with a roller ball, three buttons, three bases, and six cities to protect.  The game has always been popular at arcades, and it even ported to home consoles really well.  Grab a few quarters and join us at the arcade.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share us and with us on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_06.14.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

After Star Wars thrilled audiences in theaters, everyone wanted to tap into the collective consciousness of pop culture that had embraced that galaxy far, far away.  After Battlestar Galactica was declined a second season, Glen A Larson made another attempt to seize audiences’ interest in futuristic space shows.  This time, he chose to update an iconic character to suit the culture of the late 1970s.  Buck Rogers, a character created by Philip Francis Nowlan in 1928 had already been featured in print, film, and on radio, and was ripe for a modern makeover.  NBC picked up the pilot which was packed with movie-style special effects, classic characters, and a light-hearted spirit that quickly caught on with young and older viewer.  Buck Rogers in the 25th Century sated our appetites for two seasons while we awaited the anticipated sequel to Star Wars.

 

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

The pilot episode of the television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was released theatrically in March 1979 as a prelude to the TV show which would air later that year.  Reworked and edited as a two-part first episode, “Awakening” revealed Buck’s backstory and his return to Earth five hundred years after being cryogenically frozen soon after lift-off in 1987.  We watched as Captain Buck Rogers (Gil Gerard) was captured by Princess Ardala’s (Pamela Hensley) flagship and subsequently set back on course to return to Earth at its previously programmed destination, Chicago.

Upon his return “home”, Buck encounters a world alien to his senses as he comes to realize his planet had undergone devastating changes.  Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray), Dr. Elias Huer (Tim O’Connor), and a pint-sized drone called Twice (Felix Silla) curiously and cautiously befriended Buck as the adventures began in the 25th Century.

The first season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a hit with audiences as Gerard’s portrayal of a confident 70s "macho man” with a penchant for twentieth century references and an attractive personality (and sufficient chest hair) was alluring to female characters on screen and young viewers at home.  The characters’ interactions with each other week-after-week made this NBC program “must see TV” until the show radically changed course in the second season, losing audiences and frustrating members of the cast and crew.

However, as is evident in this discussion between shazbazzar, JediShua, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman, the show is still remembered fondly by those who saw it in its initial run from 1979-1981.  With audio from Gil Gerard’s appearance at Alabama Phoenix Festival in 2013 and “Keep on Sailin’”,a musical piece by High Adventure with lyrics by shazbazzar, this episode of TechnoRetro Dads Star Wars Aftershocks is sure to get you ready to don some white spandex and groove to a rockin’ disco beat in a 70s’ version of the 25th Century.

For a look back at more Star Wars connections with Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, check out shazbazzar’s article on RetroZap.com!

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share us and with us on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_Star_Wars_Aftershocks_Buck_Rogers.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

This week marks another great moment in history as JediShua’s birthday returns a week after Independence Day.  Armed with a 7/11 slurpee, a microphone, and Suckerman, Shua celebrates his birthday with shazbazzar and all EarBuds across the globe (including Australia) for this maddening voyage into the not-so-distant future for 77 minutes (listen all the way to the end) as TechnoRetro Dads continue looking to the past for clues about the looming dystopian future.

 

In the NEWS

  • Logan’s Run reboot/remake to be directed by Simon Kinberg
  • Sir Patrick Stewart might be willing to reprise his Star Trek role.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog finds a villain in Jim Carrey to play Dr. Robotnik.
  • Mobile Suit Gundam gets a live-action movie.
  • Ultraman (no, not the original) will be a Netflix series.
  • Star Wars Resistance images found online.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and Cereal Correspondant (or whatever we finally decide to call him) Shane in Grand Rapids finds multi-grain Nestle’s cereal in India and sends us a link to some cereal recipes for those new Post cereals JediShua definitely doesn’t crave. Jovial Jay (yes, the Trix cereal singing Jovial Jay) shares a fantastic video of a gourmet chef attempting to remake Lucky Charms.

 

Saturday Mornings

In honor of JediShua’s 47th birthday (no, really, he’s just 47), we scour the Saturday morning lineup for the Saturday adjoining the day of his birth to figure out what he would have been watching, had he been offered the choice.  Surprise, BabyShua, you only have three channels to choose from.  Archaic, we know.

 

Toys in the Attic

Both shazbazzar and JediShua recall some of their most memorable birthday presents from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  Ranging from Big Wheels to Chevy Vegas, with The Beatles in-between (with a CD boombox and Sony Walkman, respectively), the all-around winner of a birthday present, edging out six (6) Yodas by the width of a plastic  orange snake, is “Suckerman”!

 

The Future’s Not So Bright (Dystopian Summer)

Adam O’Brien, the Fantha from Down Under, joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a journey through the wastelands of the future in Mad Max, a low budget film that has spawned two or three sequels (depending on how you fit Fury Road into the canon) and successfully defined the look and feel of the genre for nearly forty years.  Follow Rocketansky down the rabbit hole as he deals out retribution to those who destroyed his life and murdered those he loves.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to give JediShua a birthday present by rating and reviewing TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes.  Then share us and with us on social media, and join us on Discord for discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While you’re at it, give the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.13.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Run, Logan, Run!  Before we heard Jenny’s cry for Forrest to flee from danger, Jessica was helping the sandman-turned-runner Logan flee from his imminent doom in the 23rd Century.  SuperFriend, Paul Bateman (art director and concept designer) lends his filmatic expertise to the conversation about Logan’s Run as shazbazzar and JediShua face a frightening future in the dystopian movies of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. 

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…but not necessarily every cereal equally.  Before JediShua, shazbazzar, and the shazlings give their thoughts about the new Dippin’ Dots cereals and a Cold Stone Creamery / Malt-O-Meal mashup, Shane in Grand Rapids chimes in with news that Cliff Bars are dipping their granola into the cereal bowl.  Are they macadamia nuts?  PLUS: Darth Taxus debates his dilemma with an abandoned (?) box of Special K Blueberry with Lemon Clusters.  

 

Logan’s Run

Summertime is a funner time when you’re not living in a bleak dystopia.  Still, the ‘Dads are embarking on a voyage into one of science fiction’s shadowy realms this summer by looking back at dystopian movies from decades past.  This week, art director and concept artist Paul Bateman brings his wit and wisdom to the conversation as the projector plays Logan’s Run.  Saul David’s seemingly utopian city belies a hidden dystopian truth as technology encourages the young to placate themselves with peaceful pleasure until some begin to realize that being “renewed” at thirty years-old isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.    

 

Toys in the Attic

After several long days in 2074 mixed with the heat of summer, we’re all due for something cold and refreshing, and Snoopy gives us the perfect treat — snow cones!  JediShua and shazbazzar recall, not only their memories of the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine, but also Kool-Aid and Lemonade stands from the yonder years of youth.  After all, who can forget that catchy tune from the old commercial?

 

Feedback

Andy “Let Me Google that for You” Lindemann sends in an electronic-M with mp3dback because he has music on his mind.  From Rush to Cheap Trick to playing a benefit concert for kids (filled with tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s), Andy brings a musical flair to graying hair.  Puddingsbane on Discord (#TeamSteve!) reveals the answer to a lingering question about Burger Chef and Burger King regarding Star Wars glasses and the words “only eight million” escape shazbazzar’s lips.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions on Discord about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.12.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

When a serious Private Investigator takes a cartoonish case, the possibility of insanity (or at least inanity) increases by a factor of 88.  To prove the point, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and Alan Silvestri combined film noir with cartoon antics in a live action/animated movie named Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Tune in for ‘toons this week on TechnoRetro Dads.

 

In the NEWS

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein looks to get a reboot, eh?  Eggo’s boost in sales from the Stranger Things craze has abated.  Showbiz Pizza’s house band, The Rockafire Explosion is back together, playing at an arcade in Kansas City.  Everyone’s favorite video game hedgehog (Sonic) is getting his own movie.

 

We Love Our Cereal

Shane in Grand Rapids lets us know about the Cold Stone Creamery mashup with Malt-O-Meal for ice cream cereal.  After hearing about the Dippin’ Dots cereals last week, we think this might be a trend.  PLUS:  JediShua gives his first thoughts on Chips Ahoy! cereal and shazbazzar reviews Dippin’ Dots Banana Split cereal.   

 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Kathleen Turner, and Charles Fleisher combined forces in 1988 to create the one-of-a-kind live action/animation movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit.  It’s a tale of mystery, murder, and maroons in a world where cartoons are people, too.  The trouble doubles when Roger Rabbit is framed for the murder of Marvin Acme and Judge Doom’s goon squad searches high and low for the scared hare.  Reluctant detective Eddie Valiant goes against his long-standing practice of avoiding ‘toons and protects Roger long enough to get to the bottom of the case.  Speaking of bottoms, Lou Hirsch portrays Baby Herman, a baby-faced ‘toon actor who is in dire need of a diaper change.  If you haven’t seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit, you need to get to it immediately!  (WARNING: Parental Guidance Suggested)

 

Feedback

Mike MacDonald spots Star Wars in The Great Outdoors so shaz and Shua identify the fast food premiums from 1980 and 1983.  Jonathan Bell lets us know what he thought about Won’t You Be My Neighbor and The Dark Crystal.  Jeff Baucom pulls out the Brian Daley Han Solo novels and reminds us about the Lando Calrissian Adventures (which, evidently, Lando didn’t forget to chronicle in Solo: A Star Wars Story).

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.11.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

School’s out and this week marks the official start of summer and the longest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere), so shazbazzar and JediShua kick off the season with a trip to the great outdoors.  Grab a tent, a pack, and all your camping gear and join TechnoRetro Dads for news, cereal, and fun as we travel down life’s pizza-paved pathway together this Monday morning.

 

In the NEWS

Alexa goes full-on L3-37 in the hands of a hacker.  Entertainment Earth turns Monster cereals into Tiki cups.  The Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell is on Netflix.  Disney Jr. will kick-off its new Rocketeer animated series with a six year-old lead character.  Galaxy’s Edge gets closer and closer to “reality” as news about the Star Wars themed resort is released.  PLUS: Wreck It Ralph 2, Dumbo, and a Willow sequel.

 

We Love Our Cereal

Does granola cereal?  That’s what Shane wants to know.  But that’s not all.  He’s also interested in the Funko horror cereals like the Freddy Krueger FunkO’s and the Pennywise cereal.  Dippin’ Dots cereals should be in Wal*Mart today.  PLUS, Shane in GR turns us on to a Twitch video of Apology Man nuking his cereal bowl (with milk) for a minute before adding his cereal.  #NukeYourBowl  Thanks to @JediMasterJBell for more pics of new cereals at WalMart. 

 

The Great Outdoors

With Dan Akroyd and John Candy, this 1988 movie written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutsch is a great catch.  The Great Outdoors is a comedy of horrors.  Imagine taking a summer vacation in the woods with your wife and kids and then, suddenly and unexpectedly, your annoying, know-it-all brother-in-law shows up (uninvited) with his family.  What can go wrong does go wrong, even with the ever-heroic and Zeus-like Chet Ripley on the case.  With bears, bats, and bandit-like raccoons, this movie still keeps you laughing with its wild life and wild antics in the wilderness of The Great Outdoors.

 

Feedback

Matt Marks sends in his mp3dback with his thoughts on the Avengers (spoiler alert!).  Chris Hardy yearns for more positivity in geekdom as the Star Wars tweet-wars persist.  Darth Hound suggests The Writers’ Journey by Christopher Vogler (3rd Edition) as a companion book for Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces.  Jacob Roth likes Corvette Summer.  Jeff Baucom plugs potholes with pizza (well, he tells us about Domino’s doing it).

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.10.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Greetings, PROGRAMS!

 

No need to fret when shazbazzar isn’t around — at least not when SuperFriend Tony Soehner and the lovely and loquacious Mrs. Shua are already a mile high in the sky.  It’s a very special “mile-high” episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

 

In the NEWS

Galaxy’s Edge will feature Black Spire Outpost, Nien Nunb, and a handsome space pirate who can really dance (Go Hondo!  Go Hondo!).  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is coming out on vinyl.  Antony Soehner’s Unite the Party continues the story where Gather the Party left off.  Ready Player One hits your TV on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K in July.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Gather the quarters, crank up the air, grab a paddle, and get ready for air hockey.  JediShua, Tony, and Mrs. Shua talk about the fast-paced action of this classic two-player game.  Shua provides advice for those who want to win: “Don’t hit the puck into your own goal.” 

 

Big

With Robert Loggia and Tom Hanks, this movie had to be Big.  Of course, it was Big, and as it hits the thirtieth anniversary of its release, Zoltar made sure it was covered in this episode.  Josh Baskin just wanted to be Big, but before long, he realized being a grown-up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Revisit Big with a big floor piano, a big robot that turns into a building, and big stars who made Big a huge success.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.09.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Forty years ago, after huge success with Star Wars, Mark Hamill showed up in a down-to-earth comedy about a boy and his car in Corvette Summer.  Join shazbazzar and JediShua as they get revved up in high speed at 77 minutes per episode on this Memorial Day TechnoRetro Dads.

 

In the NEWS

Thundercats return to the small screen, but they don’t appear to be like the classic ‘80s cartoon. A She-Ra reboot looks like it will be more faithful to the original.  Kitsis and Horowitz line up to run the Amazing Stories reboot overseen by Steven Spielberg.  Galaxy’s Edge gets a release date…sort of.  And in sadder news, legendary movie poster artist Bill Gold and Lois Lane Margot Kidder both leave this life.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and other sweet, sugary, and colorful breakfast foods.  This coming Friday is National Doughnut Day…again!  It seems like it comes twice a year, doesn’t it?  PLUS: Cereal Feedback from Jonathan, Adam, and Shane. 

 

Corvette Summer

Mark Hamill and Annie Potts make an unlikely couple in 1978’s Corvette Summer, a RomCom featuring a boy’s automotive dreams, a girl’s effort to make it in the world, and the love they find along the way.  Although JediShua saw this one in theaters in 1978, shazbazzar didn’t see it until a week ago.  But in the end, the ‘Dads both love this movie!  Check it out when you can.  It’s a fun flick with lots of surprises and flashbacks to ‘70s culture for GenXers. 

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Drop a quarter in the slot and take off with a shot in some great driving games we played in arcades and at home.  From the confusing axonometric driving in Super Off Road to the “behind the car” perspective of Pole Position, driving games have always been popular in the arcade.  We remember Rally X, Spy Hunter, futuristic F-Zero, and (of course) Super Mario Kart as we put one foot on the brake and one on the gas at the TechnoRetro Arcade.

 

Feedback

Mike MacDonald agrees that Twiki and Dr. Theopolis are similar to Bollux and Blue Max from the Brian Daley Han Solo novels, but Mac admits he hasn’t seen Willow, yet.  Shane in GR recalls the blue Hot Wheels carrying cases he used to have as a kid and wonders if they’re still in his parents’ house.  Jimmy in GA submits some sketches of Tony the Tiger and Buzz from Honey Nut Cheerios.  John Schepler helps shazbazzar out with the identity of Chris Claremont.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDadsd_06.08.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Thirty years ago, Ron Howard and George Lucas teamed up to make a movie.  That movie was Willow.  This Friday, the Howard/Lucas connection returns with Solo: A Star Wars Story. And we’re kicking the hype up a notch by revisiting Willow, replaying video games featuring the Millennium Falcon, rereading the Brian Daley Han Solo novels, and joking around.  And if you don’t think it’s worth 77 minutes of your day, listen at 2x the speed and only waste 38 1/2 minutes!

 

In the NEWS

Sledgehammer might get a reboot, but The Greatest American Hero reboot pilot didn’t get picked up by ABC.  A potential G.I. Joe spinoff featuring Snake Eyes is in early stages of writing.  A Willow sequel has been hinted by Ron Howard.  PLUS: some new details about Disney’s Star Wars resort and next year’s Celebration!

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…with Star Wars masks on the back or plastic droids inside.  With Solo: A Star Wars Story coming this week, we chat about some of our favorite Star Wars cereal crossovers and premiums.  Plus, Shane in Grand Rapids lets us know about Toucan Sam’s nose and a new version of Froot Loops cereal. 

 

Willow

Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley met on the set of Willow more than thirty years ago.  And though they didn’t last in real life, their chemistry still reacts well on screen thirty years later.  Willow premiered on May 20, 1988 to appreciative audiences who loved seeing Warwick Davis as the lead as Willow, the reluctant hero who achieves greatness through persistence and a little help from friends, both big and small.  With magic, swashbuckling, and special effects, Willow continues to thrill the homes of TechnoRetro Dads today!

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Fly the Millennium Falcon in Atari’s vector-graphic The Empire Strikes Back arcade game or the axonometric Return of the Jedi game just a couple years later.  Play Falcon Gunner on your iPhone or iPad or dust off your Super Nintendo for a sluggish ride through hyperspace in Super Star Wars Return of the Jedi.  On modern consoles, you can soar in the iconic ship in Battlefront and Disney Infinity.  And for those who can deal with the vertigo of immersive gaming, Star Wars Battle Pods allows you to climb into the pilot seat and punch it with Chewie.

 

Star Wars Scrapbook

Not long after Splinter of the Mind’s Eye enjoyed success in bookstores, Brian Daley’s Han Solo at Star’s End kicked off a trilogy of late-seventies / early-eighties novels featuring our favorite scoundrel, Han Solo.  Rounding out the Daley novels were Han Solo’s Revenge and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy.  These books were shazbazzar’s introduction to the Expanded Universe and still hold up as a fun look into Han Solo’s life before meeting Luke and Leia.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.07.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It was forty years ago this year when Sgt. Pepper taught the band to steer.  They were playing up on top of the bus, causing everyone to make a fuss.  They were the Gibb brothers and Peter Frampton and the movie was 1978’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Get set for psychedelia, disco, and colorful digital gaming on this episode of TechnoRetro Dads.  

 

In the NEWS

We’ve mentioned it before, but now Bill and Ted are officially returning for the long-awaited sequel, Bill and Ted Face the Music as these definitive TechnoRetro Dads try to save the world with a little help from their friends daughters. A unique theatrical experience is just around the corner as the Choose Your Own Adventure books make the move into movies with interactive technology that gives the audience the choice of what they want the story to be.

 

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Not the 1967 Beatles album but the 1978 rock opera featuring the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Steve Martin, Alice Cooper, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Burns, Aerosmith, and more!  Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band took its influence from the Beatles’ song and crafted a story about love, joy, peace, and the business side of the music industry and threw it all together with bright colors, lots of dancing, and some trippy effects to make one of the most controversial films of 1978.  Don’t miss out on this classically good (or bad) piece of music and movie history!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Although we’ve already covered the Bee Gees, disco isn’t far from our minds when we spin some records with Earth, Wind & Fire.  Featured in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Muppets in Space, and Rock and Rule, Earth, Wind & Fire is a bit of everything: funk, soul, boogie, disco, pop, rock, Latin, and African.  They stormed the scene in the ‘70s and are still performing today.  After getting a taste of this amazing band, you’re going to want to rush out to the record store to start your own collection.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Shoot wave after wave of robots to save the last human clones: Daddy, Mommy, and Mikey.  With two joysticks and no buttons, players move their digital character around the screen, avoiding obstacles and blasting robots and their spawning sources on colorful levels of frenzied action in Robotron 2084, an iconic arcade game from 1982.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit their experience at Flashback Games in Loganville, GA before digging into the full description of the game itself.  We hope you have greater success than shazbazzar.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.06.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Whether they’re from Switzerland or they’ve been Lost in Space multiple times over decades and even centuries, the Robinsons are an adventuresome lot regardless of their past or future.  Future and past are the name of the game today — your present from TechnoRetro Dads!  Get ready for 77 minutes of pop-culture, fandom, and geekiness with shazbazzar and JediShua. 

 

In the NEWS

The bad news this week is about Kevin Bacon (though, thankfully, he has not passed).  SyFy has passed on the pilot to a new Tremors series.  Sorry, Mr. Bacon.  We still like you sizzlin’ hot.  Another male icon is getting his own movie — and two directors have been named; Adam and 

Aaron Nee (they’re brothers) have been announced as the directors who will head up the new He-Man movie.  Bill Nye (yes, the science guy) has published three new children’s books.  Steven Spielberg hints that a new “Indy” may be female.  What this means for Indiana Jones 5, we don’t know.  Disney announces a digital series that will stream this summer called Star Wars: Season of the Fan.  

 

Lost in Space

The Robinsons were first known as a Swiss family lost in the jungle, but became even more familiar to the X Generation for being Lost in Space.  Created and produced in 1965 by Irwin Allen, the original show centered around a family of space pioneers whose mission was interrupted by a saboteur, Dr. Zachary Smith.  Smith and the youngest Robinson (Will) became the central humans on the three season series as did Robot’s familiar phrase, “Danger, Will Robinson!”. 

Thirty years after the series ended, New Line Cinema produced a Lost in Space film including nods, homages, and cameos from the television program.  It was a fun movie with some hope for a sequel, but due to its lackluster reception in the box office and somewhat lacking special effects for 1998, the sequel never happened.

Not to be stopped by one “poor” performance, however, the Robinsons re-emerged with a pilot for a TV reboot.  Directed by John Woo and penned by Irwin Allen, The Robinsons: Lost in Space was dead on arrival, sabotaged, not by Dr. Smith, but by a teen-drama feel that was really, really, really bad.  Really.  Totally 2004.  Some good things came from this version, however, including plot points that would be resurrected in the brand-new series from NetFlix.

Lost in Space returned to the small screen (iPhones, iPads, and anything else that streams NetFlix) in April to raucous praise.  And for good reason.  The cast is good, the story is good, the character development is excellent, the effects are effective, and a second season has been approved.  Haven’t seen it yet?  Stop what you’re doing and watch all ten episodes!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

The Bee Gees were topping the charts this week in 1978 with “Night Fever” and three other tunes from the band and/or a Gibb brother.  Since their foundation in 1958, the Bee Gees have gone through various and vibrant changes.  They’re best remembered for their work during the disco era with popular songs like “Tragedy”, “Jive Talkin’”, “How Deep Is Your Love”, “Stayin’ Alive”, and “You Should Be Dancin’”.  For a band called “Bee Gees”, they sure like to leave out their “g”s in song titles.  Weird, isn’t it?

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.05.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

What do you get when you combine wrestling with genetic experiments in space gone awry and mix it up with some skyscrapers?  Rampage!  And the ‘Dads have more than their share this week with the classic arcade game and the new movie featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  

 

In the NEWS

More sad news as we say goodbye to jazz musician/School House Rock composer Bob Dorough and WarGames soundtrack composer Arther B. Rubenstein.  Their music will live on indubitably.  Labyrinth returns to theaters and will likely make its musical debut on the theatre stage in the near future.  Nickelodeon spends a dime to reboot the ‘80s kids’ game show Double Dare — few details known at the moment, but we’re sure slime will be involved.  Shooting for Stranger Things 3 is underway with a fourth season already confirmed.  Star Wars Resistance will debut this fall on Disney Channel promising that Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie will reprise their roles as Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma.  Han Solo’s Lando Calrissian’s YT-1300 will be on display (at least the interior) over the next few weeks in select cities as The Millennium Falcon Experience travels cross-country to promote Solo: A Star Wars Story.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and cereal snacks, be they frozen or refrigerated.  PLUS: Purdue engineering students show off their talents with a Rube Goldberg machine that not only pours a bowl of cereal, but adds the milk in a most imaginative and enjoyable way.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Midway Games’ Rampage showed up in arcades, bowling alleys, and skating rinks in 1986 to pockets full of quarters as gigantic beasts George (gorilla), Lizzie (lizard), and Ralph (wolf) begin their 128-day journey across the nation to wrestle skyscrapers to the ground as they eat people, smash cars, and often end up reduced to normal-sized humans sans clothing, sliding off the side of the game screen.  This classic arcade game was a staple of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when shazbazzar and JediShua were in high school and college.  PLUS: Jovial Jay shares a story about an unboxed, mint condition Robotron 2084 game that was discovered in a warehouse filled with floors of “brand new” video games and pinball machines from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  Oh, to be a millionaire!

 

Rampage

Dwayne Johnson (yes, he even calls himself “Rock” in this movie) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in a movie adaptation of Midway Games Rampage in this spring’s Rampage.  Focusing on George, an albino gorilla whose growth is accelerated by secret experiments conducted in space, this popcorn flick is full of action and humor in a movie that’s light on life lessons and heavy on simple fun.  It’s a great catch on the silver screen that doesn’t take itself too seriously.  

 

Feedback

Wes comments on Prince and his guitar collection.  Jeremy the Spider-Pan from The Neverland Podcast provides an update on the TRON ride at Walt Disney World.  Mark All mentions Cheap Trick’s rendition of the Transformers theme and shAbbeyzzar chooses a Cheap Trick theme song for her class assignment podcast.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.04.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

In the wake of recent losses shazbazzar and JediShua recall good times from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and even the early ‘90s with television, music, and an animated movie that stays fresh every time shaz sees it.

 

In the NEWS

We lost R Lee Ermey, Harry Anderson, and former First Lady Barbara Bush.  Billy Mitchell lost all his video game high scores for allegedly cheating on Donkey Kong.  Netflix releases a reboot of Lost in Space.  Steven Spielberg finds another movie to helm — DC’s Blackhawk.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and cereal loves sugar.  Mmmm!  Cereal companies discover the age-old cure for low sales — a teaspoon (or more) of sugar!  PLUS: professional wrestlers open a totally geeky cereal cafe in Rochester, New York.

 

Night Court

In tribute to the magically comedic talent of Harry Anderson, shazbazzar and JediShua turn on the tube to remember the long-running Thursday night sitcom Night Court.  Play a clip on YouTube and you’re guaranteed to laugh out loud…a lot.

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Rockford, Illinois produced an all-too-often overlooked rock band with a real penchant for covers and original content — Cheap Trick.  From 1977 to today, Cheap Trick has been strumming the six strings and kicking the bass with hooks that are sure to catch more than fish.  We all remember “I Want You to Want Me” and “Surrender”, but do you remember “The Flame”, “Dream Police”, and “Mighty Wings”?  Did you know Cheap Trick is the band that plays the theme from That 70s Show?  Were you aware of their performances in movies like Transformers, Heavy Metal, and Rock and Rule?

 

Rock and Rule

Another time.  Another place.  The war was over and dogs, cats, and rats became the dominant sentient beings on the planet.  Hitting heavy chords over the “sell your soul to the devil” trope, Nelvana involved Blondie, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Earth, Wind, and Fire for an animated feature from 1983 that draws its inspiration of a future Earth from Moebius and 70s rockers.  Mok recruits Angel to summon a demon from the underworld, but Omar won’t let her go so easily.  If you haven’t checked out Rock and Rule, now is the time to sit down and enjoy one of the best lesser-known movies.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and join discussions about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.03.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Adventure.  Excitement?  Well, at least puzzling.  Whether you’re in the mood for three keys to three castles with three dragons and an Easter Egg or want to groove with the artist formerly known as Prince before he was knows as Prince again, you’ll have at least something fun for your morning run on this week’s TechnoRetro Dads.  So put on your pajamas (since you’re evidently allowed to wear them to work today) and tune in for a 77-minute dose of nostalgenergy.

In the NEWS

In the wake of Ready Player One, Ernest Cline’s second novel Armada gets the go-ahead for filming. Gary Whitta’s The Last Starfighter is getting attention.  Spyro the Dragon gets an upgrade.  You can “play” Ready Player One as you read it on ReadItForward.com.  Pick up as many NECCO wafers as you can, because they’re nearly extinct.  And TRON Light Cycles go Lego.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and Funko is promising more reasons to love cereal.  With mini-pops in every box of pop culture themed cereal, Funko is showing their love for sugary grains in artificial colors!

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

In the Home Console section of the arcade, our Atari 2600 gets enchanted with Adventure, the original Easter Egg game that inspired Halliday’s game (Thanks, Warren Robinett). Due to the ‘Dads’ limited experience in actually playing the game (as opposed to watching others play it), JediShua brought “Dolly”, A.K.A. Mrs. Shua, the resident expert on wacky bats, shiny chalices, and passive dragonslaying techniques (and mercury-filled stickers, evidentally).  Mrs. Shua lends her voice to this entertaining and informative look at Atari’s hit puzzle-game, Adventure.  You’re guaranteed to score more just by tuning in this week!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Have you ever Batdanced with the devil in the pale moonlight?  What about in the Purple Rain?  Would you drive to the Distracted Globe in your “Little Red Corvette”?  This morning, we’re going to party like it’s 1999 with Prince and our memories about the uber-talented ‘80s icon’s music.

 

Toys in the Attic

They’re round.  They’re squishy.  They’re gross!  Madballs were a throwable tribute to kids’ obsession with disgusting concepts in the mid-1980s, and they just might help you out in a jam when you run into Director Krennic.  From toys to comics to cartoons (well, maybe), Madballs continue to captivate kids with their gross caricatures of scary and silly faces.

 

Feedback

Jeff Baucom plays Galaga.  Cereal Connoisseur Sheldon Norton enjoys Ready Player One.  We love feedback!

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_06.02.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

If you are one who is ready to watch Ready Player One (again), you’re gonna be egg-static about this episode of TechnoRetro Dads as shazbazzar and JediShua as all the signs combine to form the number six — but not for Sixers.  Or are they?  Dive in to the deep well of wonder as we enter a world of pure imagination with Ernest Cline, Steven Spielberg, and James Halliday in the audio-only version of the OASIS called “Active Unlimited Dive Into Our Open Nostalgic Liquid Youth” (also called TechnoRetro Dads).

In the NEWS

Monty Python (there are six of them, you know, but that’s not important right now) are coming to Netflix in U.K. and CAN next week.  We’ll get it later.  Shane in GR suggests you #ChillYourPothole with a big breakfast on the road…literally on the road.  The extended version of Superman is playing at select Alamo Draft House Theaters and 2001: A Space Odyssey is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in theaters this year.  The Ready Player One soundtrack is available, and so are the tunes from various artists digitally.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and unicorns, too.  If you can find the elusive cereal that’s nearly as rare as unicorns themselves, you can make some fun concoctions as suggested by CheatSheet.com.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

It’s not Galaxian.  It’s not Galaxian II.  It’s Galaga, the natural evolution of a game filled with space bugs that shoot, dive-bomb, and even capture your defense fleet starship in this much-beloved game played by David Lightman and recognized by Tony Stark from across a computer-filled room.  JediShua promises to help shazbazzar achieve a perfect score in the bonus round next time they go to the arcade together. 

 

Ready Player One

We’ve been waiting a long time for this.  Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean.  Well, not really, but longer than TechnoRetro Dads have been on-the-air, shazbazzar and JediShua have been waiting for Ready Player One to make its way to theaters.  And we weren’t disappointed at all.  Neither were you, EarBuds.  The TechnoRetro novel became a TechnoRetro movie and we’re totally #TechnoRetro about the whole thing — except for glitches in theaters from time-to-time.  Steven Spielberg hits a home run with this film adaptation of James Halliday’s Egg Hunt. EarBuds Kermmit the Frog, James Burns, Obi-Roth Kenobi, T-Bird, JunkMan, Tony Soehner of Nerds Gallery podcast, and families all contribute to our initial post-screening discussion of Ready Player One.  With just 10 minutes of (announced) spoilers, you can listen to almost the whole conversation without being spoiled (if you haven’t yet seen Ready Player One in theaters).  But the discussion isn’t enough for EarBuds; if you haven’t seen the movie, yet, gather your party and head down to the theater to check it out time and time again.  PLUS: the grand prize winner of the TechnoRetro Dads EggHunt is revealed!

 

Feedback

Jeff Baucom gets into the discussion of movies Star Wars influenced, inspiring ideas for more Star Wars Aftershocks.  Jonathan Bell suggests watching The Theory of Everything starring James Halliday as Stephen Hawking. John Schepler pops off with news about Funko Cereal Pops.  Ted Adam Green adds to the cereal news with pics snack bags of Cap’n Crunch.  Adam O’Brien compares Clint Eastwood with Harrison Ford in a truly TechnoRetro matchup.  Chris from Arvada calls in with his excitement about Ready Player One, Cereal Box, Inc., and his own recipes for cereal mixes.  PLUS: Chris remembers the TRON/WarGames mashup from TRON: Decoding the Grid from a few years back.  If you’re interested in what he’s talking about, check it out here.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_06.01.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Greetings, PROGRAMS!

 

This news brief will catch you up on the most significant TechnoRetro NEWS hitting the airwaves as March concludes and April begins, so WAKE UP!

In the NEWS

Feelin’ Newsy?  You will be when you wake up to this morning’s News Blast.  Superman turns 80 later this month on the anniversary of the release of Action Comics #1.  Direct Current Comics will release a limited edition of the premiere issue of Aluminum Boy.  With Facebook’s popularity fading in recent weeks, The WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link) was recently purchased by Innovative Online Industries in a move to reintroduce this early ISP/forum to users.  Hasbro and Twentieth Century Fox reveal plans to make a movie based on the classic game Operation.  Jonah Hill and Rowlf are confirmed to star in the film which will begin filming soon.  And in a story that’s truly out-of-this-world, a miniature space station has been discovered in orbit around Earth equipped with a rocket that will evidently be launching for Mars in the near future.  SETI and NASA confirm the construction crew plans to colonize the red planet before man will plant his flag on Mars.

Vinyl Scratchback

The Doobie Brothers, Bjork, Beatles, Def Leppard, Queen, and more fill your ear buds with folly before the ‘Dads replay some favorites from the past five years.

Direct download: TRDads_Ps14.1.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Spring is here, and March is all set to go out like a lion with the bombastic retrorific movie adaptation of Ernest Cline’s bestselling novel, Ready Player One.  JediShua and shazbazzar have a few important influences to prepare all EarBuds for the movie release this week!

In the NEWS

Indiana Jones and the Fifth Chapter not only has a release date, but a filming date as Steven Spielberg anticipates his next blockbuster after Ready Player One.  Toys ‘R’ Us is closing, but Kay-Bee Toys is coming back?  Maybe so.  Muppet Babies has returned to TV in a reboot format.  Of course, Ready Player One is everywhere.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and peanut butter?  Well, with cereal, we certainly do.  Spread some up on a couple pieces of bread and you will, too!  (Have plenty of milk handy.)

 

Vinyl Scratchback

Ready Player One influences this week’s Vinyl Scratchback with one of Ernie Cline’s audio influences: Rush.  The Canadian Prog Rock band features heavily in all of Cline’s work and plays an important role in Ready Player One with their 1976 album 2112.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Wade Watts played Dungeons of Daggorath on a TRS-80 in Ready Player One.  This predecessor of hits like Castle Wolfenstein and Doom earns its place in the TechnoRetro Arcade with its sparse sound effects, basic vector graphics, yet immersive gameplay.

 

Saturday Mornings

Cartoons weren’t the only fare on Saturday mornings.  Sometimes, live-action “cartoons” made their way to American television with shows like Ultraman that captured the imaginations of kids everywhere.  

 

WarGames

David Lightman is an intelligent underachiever who really likes playing video games on his computer.  He will do just about anything to play them — even hacking into Protovision (or some other computer in the Sunnyvale area).  Will he inadvertently cause World War Three?  WarGames capitalized on the Cold War worries of Generation X with a fun and somewhat frightening film featuring Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman, and Barry Corbin.  An all-time favorite of shazbazzar and one of many rewatchable movies for JediShua, WarGames not only influenced young computer programmers to become hackers, it influenced at least two stories by novelist Ernest Cline, namely Ready Player One and Armada.  JediShua and shazbazzar make a strong case for watching WarGames one more time before heading to theaters this week for Ready Player One.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to watch WarGames one more time before going to the movies later this week!

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.47.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

What do you do when your daughter brings home her first boyfriend?  Well, EarBuds, it’s best to think that question over before it actually happens.  Take it from shazbazzar.  But it’s all going to be alright as we come roaring back after a week filled with fun, friends, and six Star Wars movies playing in the evenings for visiting Spring Breakers at “shaz sha-toh” (chateau).  So pop open a can of 9 Lives and curl up with the cat for a 77-minute blend of past, present, and future with shazbazzar and JediShua on TechnoRetro Dads.

In the NEWS

Stephen Hawking outlives doctors’ expectations by over fifty years.  Ready Player One VR rave was available for test runs at SXSW.  Director Steven Spielberg experienced some anxiety as he attended the premiere of Ready Player One with a few technical glitches.  Flux capacitors are not currently in stock at O’Reilly Auto Parts.  The “Anniversary Edition” of The Dark Crystal is now available on Blu-Ray and 4K.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and SuperFriend Jorbex thinks JediShua would love Honey Hooplahs, too — if only because of the awesome name.  In the meantime, Tony the Tiger goes to the dark side with Chocolate Frosted Flakes, and Shua is convinced that shaz would think “they’re great!”

 

Vinyl Scratchback

With a retrotastic movie like Ready Player One coming in less than two weeks, this seemed like the perfect time to speculate about songs we think might be on the soundtrack as well as what we wish would be on the soundtrack.  And, since we’re not making the movie anyway, your opinions are as good as ours, so if you have thoughts about songs that could work into Ready Player One, let us know right away at (209) 878-7323.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Ernest Cline has it in his own home.  Wade Watts played it from an entirely different perspective in Ready Player One.  It’s called Black Dragon in Japan.  But you know it as Black Tiger and shazbazzar and JediShua take a few minutes to revisit the dungeons of Capcom and reminisce about the scantily-clad barbarian’s adventure game and how it likely has influenced both the book and the movie, Ready Player One.

 

Black Panther

JediShua gathered his brood for a trip to the local cinema for a MARVELous afternoon in Wakanda watching Black Panther.  Although shazbazzar has yet to see it, Shua’s glowing review of the movie doesn’t really spoil anything (surprised?)!  It’s no wonder this movie continues to impress at the box office this month.

 

Feedback

Isaiah Caldeira lets us know about his interesting strategy for Defender and how it didn’t quite produce the results he wanted. Jeff Baucom follows the rabbit trail from Star Wars actors in Flash Gordon to the Queen soundtrack to Toto’s soundtrack for Dune to the VHS data sheet, PLUS: Dungeons & Dragons, Knight Rider, Cylons, and Boney M!  Jeff proves the value of a well-archived catalog of old podcasts.  Jonathan spots Sean Astin’s buff brother…maybe.  Wes shares pics of his collection in his “space for being creative” as Jeffrey Fischbach shows off a TRON cabinet and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom game.  Lost Boy Eric volunteers to get an annual pass to Walt Disney World to keep everyone up-to-date with the TRON ride’s progress.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to submit your final guesses for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg as the TechnoRetro EggHunt concludes.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.46.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

With just a couple weeks until Ready Player One hits theaters, shazbazzar and JediShua are here with over two hours of hype for the movie with SuperFriend and co-host of TRON: Decoding the Grid JAMIE!  (And, by the way, if you haven’t set your clock forward an hour by now, you’re probably late for work, so…) 

In the NEWS

John Williams will retire from Star Wars after Episode Nine.  Jon Favreau (Pre Vizsla) joins a Star Wars series again, but this time in the role of writer and director!  Disney renews their relationship with McDonald’s with new “Happy Meal” toys for The Incredibles and Wreck It Ralph this year.  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets its sixth installment of the trilogy in a new radio drama on BBC.  Retro posters promote Ready Player One in some cities and more games are available for you to share and enjoy on the movie’s website.

 

Lazy Book Club

Four years ago this month, TechnoRetro Dads aired the first three meetings of the Lazy Book Club with Jamie, long-time SuperFriend and co-host of TRON: Decoding the Grid.  It took three (segments and EarBuds) to cover Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One four years ago, and we’re not sure we could do any better even now!  So if you’re not avoiding potential spoilers and you want to revisit the book with some friends, tune in for two hours of the Lazy Book Club from March 2014.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_05.45.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The final week of the TechnoRetro EggHunt is upon you — at least the clue segment.  So listen closely for hints regarding this week’s Easter Egg and look for more clues in the artwork, guess correctly, and discover the full picture in order to solve the final puzzle and enter the drawing for the Grand Prize to be awarded on the Monday before Ready Player One hits theaters!  But that will pale in comparison to the pure joy of eating Teddy Grahams on terry cloth towels under an umbrella in Cleveland with Dr. Jones.  Even better, however, are 77 minutes of Indy films, Indy games, and Indy tunes.  No, Oscar fans, not “indie” — Indy, and in Indiana Jones.  And we’re loaded with Indiana Jones this week where we’re guaranteed to contain more than 30% Indiana Jones related content or your money back. 

In the NEWS

Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming Jungle Cruise promises to feel as if Indiana Jones might be just around the bend in the upcoming movie with Emily Blunt.  Ready Player Two is under construction as a book before novelist Ernest Cline flips over into screenplay mode again to co-write the expected sequel to the movie.  Neflix teases Lost in Space with a scene of the Robinson family walking onto the Jupiter 2.  PLUS: the end of Wilhelm?

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and JediShua wants to find more cereals to love.  But he’s really looking for one that could be his king of the Briton cereals.  If you have a suggestion from his list of ten, let us know at our cereal choice hotline (209) 878-7323.

 

Classic TV Tunes

To introduce a new segment to JediShua, shazbazzar hosts a “Name That Tune” game that ends up giving Shua the easy win.  Even better than a successful one-guess-win, though, is John Williams’s repertoire of tunes made for TV, from movies to news to sports to classic series, the Star Wars / Indiana Jones soundtrack composer will surprise most EarBuds with the credits he’s amassed over decades of work in the field.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Two games worthy of the name Henry Jones, Jr. are added to the TechnoRetro Arcade this week with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from Atari and the Atari 2600 classic puzzle game, Raiders of the Lost Ark (featuring, yep, you guessed it, Indiana Jones).  But there’s even more Indiana Jones in this episode with “The Ballad of Indiana Jones” by High Adventure and a look back at the 1989 movie…

 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Rats!  “X” marks the spot — this time — in an on-the-nose reversion to Raiders, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom hits all the right beats for the third movie of the then trilogy of Indiana Jones adventures.  Remember River Phoenix as young Indy?  How about Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr.?  Or that sad old knight guarding the Holy Grail?  Or the event that forever scarred Indy with a fear of snakes?  It’s all here in the first Indy film with a PG-13 rating, although Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom earned the addition of the rating to the MPAA in 1984.  Wilhelms and whip-snaps included.

 

Retro Gameshow

Monty Hall continues to be synonymous with wild audiences, kooky costumes, and bad deals.  Let’s Make a Deal was a big deal in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  It continues even today with Wayne Brady hosting the show.  Mention the word “deal” to a GenXer, and you’ll likely hear, “This deal’s getting worse all the time,” just before a reference to Let’s Make a Deal.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg as the TechnoRetro EggHunt concludes.

 

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Direct download: TRDads_05.44.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Pronunciations and enunciations are better than renunciations of almost every kind, even when the former are terrible.  But mispronouncing city names isn’t the only error.  Oh no!  The Spider-Pan from Neverland (podcast) catches the TechnoRetro Dads in another April Foolish prank from the tourism industry Down Under.  But after shazbazzar and JediShua get humbled by multiple corrections from the past couple weeks, the ‘Dads lunch into space for some alien felines.  You’ll want to be on the lookout for hairballs at breakfast and dinner today.  Ha!

 

In the NEWS

Hairlips or hairy lips, it makes little difference to the Flowbee, with Jay Hernandez playing Magnum P.I. in the upcoming reboot, we’re wondering if the classic mustache will be making a comeback in the new version.  Hopefully so!  Daniel and Johnny are back at it on the west coast in YouTube Red’s new original Karate Kid series Cobra Kai.  And the hype for Ready Player One kicks it up a notch with more puzzles, clues, and an opportunity to play Joust online.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…but Lucky loves his newest charm — a mythical friend of the little leprechaun joins Lucky Charms cereal in disembodied form.  Your next bowl of Lucky Charms may be full of unicorn heads if you’re really Lucky.  Delicious!

And the HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery gets some updates from one of our EarBuds as well as a peek into the TechnoRetro Bureau of Investigation.  Cicero D. Swampaluffagus thinks he may have seen King Vitamin fleeing the scene of the crime in Richmond, Virginia.  PLUS: Steve Glosson from the Big Honkin’ Show continues to help shazbazzar and JediShua in the cereal crime investigation.  If you have any information about this still unsolved mystery, let us know at our cereal crime hotline (209) 878-7323.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

The mouse chases the cats in Mappy, a digital version of playing cat and mouse with a twist.  The mouse detective seeks to catch the Meowkies red-pawed by retrieving the goods stolen by the criminal felines.  And if that’s not enough to entice you, Namco added trampolines to the game play in order to give it a much-needed bounce.  If you’re looking for something different at the arcade, check out Mappy.

 

The Cat from Outer Space

After an alien life form crash lands on Earth, the military gets involved (including both Colonels from M*A*S*H) only to discover that we haven’t been invaded by little, green, squishy guys, but by a furry feline with a glowing collar.  Featuring Sally Duncan, Ken Berry, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson, and Ronnie Schell as Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 (Jake), this 1978 flick provides loads of fun with humor, comedy, and unlikely combinations as Boss Hogg and Cornelius show up for Disney’s sci-fi prelude to The Black HoleThe Cat from Outer Space is a must-see for every fan of fun or fiction, especially since it seems to be a secondary inspiration for The Phantom Menace!

 

Saturday Mornings

Spacecats (not to be confused with the “Space Cats” episode of Heathcliff) was a short-lived (pronounced with a long “i” sound — thanks, Scott Ryfun) animated/puppet TV show from the early ‘90s.  Paul Fusco voices the leader of the Spacecats, Captain Catgut, in every episode’s introduction as a short, furry puppet.  Charles Nelson Reilly is the Disembodied Omnipotent Ruler of Cats (D.O.R.C) in a role that suited his Hollywood Squares personality.  In the cartoon segment, the voice talents of Townsend Coleman, Pat Fraley, and Rob Paulsen bring the two-dimensionally drawn Spacecats to life for a single season before the show didn’t last longer than a single fall and subsequent spring reruns.  Too bad, too, since we never really discovered that the real reason the Spacecats came to Earth was to investigate tales of an alien life form who threatened the indigenous feline population with his voracious appetite and complete lack of willpower. 

 

Feedback

Darth Taxus answers lingering questions about Garfield and Friends.  Steve Bennett (#TeamSteve) adds fragrance to our Olfatrix smell towers with a Hot Topic exclusive that shouldn’t expire until 2045 at least with Ready Player One “Gunter Life” cologne.  Speaking of Ready Player One, EarBuds went wild with comments about Easter Eggs in the official poster.  PLUS: Mark Reingrover, Jovial Jay, James Burns, and Mike MacDonald with fantastic feedback!

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

 

Share and enjoy.

 

 

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Direct download: TRDads_05.43_.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

From snowstorms up north to the feel of summertime in the south, the past week of the Winter Olympics have challenged both athletes and couch potatoes in more ways than one. But we’ll never ask you to choose between watching skiing or going skiing.  We will never push you into a conundrum of choosing between mowing the lawn and keeping up with the figure skating finals.  You can take TechnoRetro Dads with you wherever you can take your ear buds, EarBuds, as we remember Saturday morning cartoons enjoyed with a bowl of cereal, revisit the arcades of our youth, and reminisce about the best parts of being kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  So whether you are Farmers or freelance photographers, we’re your friendly neighborhood podcast — even if you don’t remember the glory days of GenX!

In the NEWS

As we anticipated, the upcoming incarnation of The Greatest American Hero features a female lead as Hannah Simone is cast as the next unlikely superhero to wear the red pajamas. We wonder who her counterpart will be. Before V was for vendetta, the Roman numeral signified visitors from another planet who have come to earth to feast on human flesh.  Creator of the original mini-series, Kenneth Johnson, will be directing a big screen adaptation of the iconic ‘80s TV show.  Whether Dar or Freddy Kruger will appear in the new version is unknown at the moment.  Doc Brown could soon find a replacement for the demolished DeLorean from Back to the Future 3 in Humble, Texas as brand new DMC-12s begin rolling off the assembly line next year.  Built from unassembled original parts from the early ‘80s, these DeLoreans will combine the classic look with updated and upgraded engines and electronics assembled on “x” frames.  Do we want them?  Yes!  Can we afford them?  Uh…no.  WarGames is making a comeback through a new game about hackers produced in collaboration with Eko.  Matthew Broderick?  We doubt it.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so do burglars in Richmond, Virginia. Olivia Davis came home recently to discover her apartment had been ransacked, her toilet paper had been stolen, and someone had been eating a bowl of Cap’n Crunch on her bed…and left before finishing the bowl!  When the criminal is this smooth (or maybe not-so-smooth), there’s only one person we could call to make sense of this crime — Steve Glosson.  The host of the Big Honkin’ Show joins shazbazzar and JediShua to investigate the details of this very strange tale of missing cleaning supplies, tables of wigs, and a half bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Seems like sequels are the rage in early ‘80s video games.  Last week, we talked about Ms. Pac-Man.  This week, the success of Centipede gives rise to Millipede, a faster, more intense version of the rollerball shooter with more arachnids, insects, and dangerous mushrooms that might put you in a panic if you’re not expecting the onslaught of tiny creatures attacking your bug blaster in this fun and frenetic game that will get your heart racing.

 

Saturday Mornings

He’s orange.  He’s striped.  He loves lasagna.  He’s the iconic fat cat with a very Presidential name.  He’s Garfield.  If you’re a child of the ‘80s, you remember him, not only from the funny pages of your local newspaper, but from Saturday mornings on CBS from 1988 to 1995.  Garfield and Friends featured not only Garfield and Odie, but also several friends from the farm as Jim Davis’s creation gets animated on a weekly basis in this cartoon.  JediShua does discover that Garfield was inspired by the creator’s grandfather, a cantankerous man named James A. Garfield Davis.  Does the “A” stand for “Andrew”?  We just don’t know.

 

Feedback

Isaiah Caldeira tries Steve Glosson’s chocolate super cereal surprise and enjoys watching Animaniacs.  Jonathan Bell geeks out with his TechnoRetroGrandDad on the Input Junkie podcast.  Dave Atteberry sends us pics of his “super” man cave and we’re amazed because it’s spectacular.  The talents of Jimmy in Georgia and Uncle Ben Foster are on display with Jimmy’s Dungeons & Dragons art and Ben’s pen-and-ink drawings and musical repertoire.  Chef Armando is thoroughly enjoying The Toys that Made Us on Netflix and Twitter.  Jason from The Colony, Texas shares his thoughts and Darth Taxus embraces Flash Gordon with his whole family.  Michael Goldtrap tastes Nutter Butter cereal.  Jeffrey Fischbach suggests names for the Pac-Fam and The Neverland Podcast solves the mystery of Ms. Pac-Man’s name.  Ahh-choo!  

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.42.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

As important as learning your ABCs, getting a fundamental education in the glory days of the ‘70s and ‘80s will prepare you for success in today’s pop-culture climate.  The TechnoRetro Dads continue to serve the public with 77 minute interstitials to reawaken the hearts and minds of GenXers while providing Millennials more than a basic introduction to the movies, music, TV shows, games, and toys that made these decades some of the best times to be a kid.  Who knows when you might have an opportunity to put the knowledge of timeless trivia to the test in order to win an OASIS of treasure (and free prizes) in a contest the likes of Ready Player One?  Make sure you’re tuned in every Monday morning for TechnoRetro Dads — just the thing to get your work week off to a great start.  Hurray!

In the NEWS

What do you mean Pluto still isn’t a planet? EarBuds from all over the world rapidly responded to the news from last week to let us know that, no, Pluto has not been reclassified as a planet.  Aw!  Maybe someday.  But things are looking up for TRON fans as construction begins in O’Lando for the Lightcycle Power Run.  If only they would start filming TR3N.  But the biggest news is about the star of Nintendo games, Mario!  Whether you’re talking about seeing the original “Jump Man” on the silver screen or seeing the popular plumber sans shirt, Mario is super at making headlines on the GRID!

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and Post is boxing up bowls of great tastes, it seems.  Start looking for Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch, Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, Double Chocolate Brownie Crunch, Cinnamon Dino-Bites, Golden Honey O’s, and MOM’s Best Crispy Cinnamon Rice.  With two cinnamon additions to cereal aisle shelves this year, it looks like things are heating up for your taste buds, EarBuds!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

They may go “Crazy on You” if you’re a “Magic Man”, and that might not be a bad thing.  Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been the thrumming heartbeat of Heart for the past four decades with loads of familiar songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s, even as the band’s sound developed alongside the times as the heavier beats and guitars gave way to cleaner, pop-centric synthesized choruses that matched well with high school dances (and even movies about high school dances). PLUS: JediShua discovers a Heart-shaped cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

How do you follow up a hit video game?  With a sequel that’s not only more colorful, faster, and smoother, but wrap it up with a big bow — on top of the main character’s head.  Ms. Pac-Man debuted in the States in 1982, with cut scenes showing how Pac-Man met Ms. Pac-Man, their fast-paced love affair, and (with implied promises of a third game in the series) Pac-Man, Jr.  Bouncing fruit added to the challenge of the game as gamers guided Ms. Pac-Man around mazes to avoid colorful ghosts (monsters), eat up fruit (and pretzels), and chomp down on the power pill that lets her eat up her enemies.  Ms. Pac-Man is the perfect game for this Valentine’s Day!

 

Let’s Go to the Movies: Young Love

He’s the everyman, the dork, the kickboxer who keeps getting kicked in the face by love.  From the iconic image of the lonesome lover hoisting his boombox over his head in Say Anything to a cross-country road trip to find The Sure Thing, John Cusack became the face of teen romance movies and rom-coms of the ‘80s.  Remember Lane Meyer fleeing from the persistent paperboy in Better Off Dead?  This budding cartoonist brought burgers to life in his “real job” before nearly killing himself skiing the K12 in hopes of finding love (from France).  Retaining his role as a teenage cartoonist in a warmer season, Cusack played Hoops McCann in One Crazy Summer with Bobcat Goldthwait playing Godzilla in a movie about a boat race that helps our hero win love, yet again.  Not to be forgotten is Danny, Lauri’s slacker boyfriend who ends up saving his girlfriend’s family from psychotic killers with the help of some mellow islanders and an off-kilter boat captain with a penchant for Robert Louis Stevenson.  Hot Pursuit, directed by Steven Lisberger, may indeed be shazbazzar’s favorite romantic comedy of all time.

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.41.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It's all over! The month of January, the lunar eclipse with a blue and blood super moon, Groundhog Day, and the Super Bowl are all behind us, but shazbazzar and JediShua keep the action going with New York Jets Quarterback Flash Gordon, digital Xs and Os on a black-and-white screen on a cocktail table version of football from Atari, paper triangles on lunchroom tables, and an explanation of the first week of the TechnoRetro EggHunt by Matt Marks. This episode of TechnoRetro Dads will transform your winter blues with warm feelings of nostalgia, humor, and perhaps some deceptive humor for the next 77 minutes of your life.

 

In the NEWS

Scientists admit their error (sort of) by reclassifying Pluto as the ninth planet of the Solar System because...popular opinion? We discover that Mr. Rogers will be represented on screens, not only in documentary format, but in a full movie starring Tom Hanks as everyone's favorite neighbor in You Are My Friend. Indiana Jones 5 is slated as Steven Spielberg's next project and should hit screens sometime in 2020. Crocodile Dundee gets lost in the Outback in a new trailer for the fourth movie in the franchise. And thousands of baby names from 2017 may sound as if they've arrived from a galaxy far, far away.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Ratchet up your rollerball arm for some seriously cool game play from 1978 with the cocktail table head-to-head arcade hit Atari Football when a quarter could buy you 90 seconds of play time to get your Os past your opponent’s Xs to score a touchdown on the black and white scrolling screen. By choosing your formation from an onscreen menu and then controlling your players by spinning the rollerball with some hot rod moves. Run, pass, tackle, and intercept as you see the “players” move smoothly across the digital football field. The game keeps players going from huddle to huddle as gamers take brief breaks for their right arms. Although a few four-player versions were produced, the two-player tables were the most popular machines in arcades in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  Some of these are still around and would be great for next year’s Super Bowl party at your house!

 

Toys in the Attic

Sometimes the toys we remember best were those we made ourselves. Back in school, we all learned to fold paper into various shapes for passing notes, but we also learned how to transform leaves of wide-ruled paper into hefty triangles to compete with our friends in the school cafeteria or at home on the kitchen table. Tabletop football was popular among kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s because with a single piece of paper, an entire game of football was possible. If you could “flick” your football to the opposite edge of the table without falling off the side, you could score a touchdown.  Then set up for the extra point by “kicking” the paper triangle through your opponent’s goal posts and you were on your way to winning the game. It was fun then, and its fun still.  Just the thing to keep football season alive in the off season.

 

Flash Gordon

Ming the Merciless is set on destroying Earth — for fun! But Dr. Zarkov is prepared for this attack with his homemade rocket — if only he could find someone to help him blast off.  When Flash Gordon and Dale Arden arrive at his front door (well, through his front door, on their crashed airplane), he got more than he bargained for.  The three heroes find themselves in the weird and wild world of Mongo on a psychedelic trip into a 1980 version of Flash Gordon with an unforgettable soundtrack by Queen.  This cult-classic continues to thrill audiences today as parents introduce their kids to this crazy, campy sci-fi, comic-book movie that seems more than a little disjointed. With loads of actors from a galaxy far, far away, this space opera owes a lot to the popularity of Star Wars, just like Star Wars owes its existence to Flash Gordon.

 

Feedback

JediHolmes chimes in with his memories of The Last Starfighter and Beastmaster 3.  Andy Lindemann asks about Atari comics, remembers Dungeons & Dragons, and totally relates to the Cylonic appearance of K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider. Adam O’Brien is back with some memories of Dungeons & Dragons, as well, as he recalls a show from his childhood called Boris’s Breakfast Club.

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

Share and enjoy.

 

Direct download: TRDads_05.40.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Call me.  Call me Ishmael.  Call me Horatio.  I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me for breakfast.  Speaking of which, it’s Monday morning, and that means it’s that time again — so grab a box of cereal, pour it into your favorite bowl, add the milk, pick up a spoon, and enjoy your morning meal with your ear buds, EarBuds, because TechnoRetro Dads is part of a good, balanced breakfast that will get your work week started right!

 

In the NEWS

Etsy has become a place to find some really cool #TechnoRetro gadgets, like a Blu-Ray/DVD player disguised as an Apple Floppy Disk Drive.  Totally awesome!  Superman dons the red underwear for Action Comics #1000, and we’re pleased to see the classic design back in action. The New York Times publishes a complete compilation of the publication’s Star Wars coverage over the past 45 years.  Yes.  45 years.  From 1973 to today.  So cool.  PLUS: Ready Player One continues to make news with a Virtual Reality peek into Aech’s garage.  It might make you run out and buy a PS4.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so do our EarBuds!  Although we have no new reviews and no new news about cereal, @Im_Goobs chimes in on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch “puffs” that we’ve been hearing about.  According to his research, yep, it’s crunchy.  Michael Goldtrap expands the discussion of cereal-flavored milk with three jugs of “Cereal Milk” at Wal*Mart.  it looks like a #TechnoRetro trend is on like TRON at the supermarket!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

“The Tide Is High”, and we’re not talking about another Alabama championship.  The Videodrome queen, the Angel that Omar loves, Deborah Harry captured our hearts with her unique voice and Blondie’s disco-punk sound from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  We take a spin on the turntable with some memories of Blondie through the years and discover that the band is still together after all this time.  And you thought they had a “Heart of Glass”.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Though not exactly a “home console” game, Zork was a text-based computer game highlighted in Ernest Cline’s best-selling novel, Ready Player One, where Gunters could get the Jade Key by blowing a specific whistle after assembling the full collection of trophies in the case located inside a dilapidated old house on the planet Frobozz.  Like other text-based games, Zork relied on brief commands to move to the next section of the game as players tried to solve the game in a computer-simulation of a role-playing adventure game like Dungeons & Dragons

 

Saturday Mornings

Combining cartoon characters from different titles to create a new show was not an original idea in 1978, but by setting this Wacky Race-styled cartoon in space with a Star Wars-esque font was.  Well, maybe not original or unique, but it was pretty cool. Yogi’s Space Race capitalized on the space-craze of the late ‘70s by pitting Yogi, Scare Bear, Quack Up, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw and more against each other in weekly races between teams on their speedy space ships hurtling through a space race course.  In case you never saw it, Yogi’s Space Race was exactly what you’d expect: Cartoon Captains led their crews toward victory against other teams while avoiding the treachery of the rotten villains of the program.  Everyone should check this out for 22 minutes of good ole fun every now and then.

 

Ladyhawke

No, it’s not deja-vu. We have covered Ladyhawke before, but it’s been a while since we talked with Michael Witwer: The Last Gen-Xer (Empire of Imagination) about this romantic tale of fantasy, magic, and shape-shifting soul-mates starring Matthew Broderick, John Wood, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer set in middle-ages France to the tune of synthesized music from Alan Parsons.  You can listen to the episode from three years ago here after listening to this week’s show if you want to hear more.

 

Prime Time: Captain America 

Before The First Avenger, before the Winter Soldier, before Civil War, there was a wacky and wild attempt at another superhero show on prime time television with the made-for-television movie event, Captain America.  To no one’s surprise, this pilot didn’t get picked up for a season.  We said everything good we could think of in a very short Prime Time segment this week.  

 

Feedback

Radio Free Endor is using the 1979 Star Wars calendar this year.  Geeky Dad finds the Fall Guy plane from Tonka.  Eric from The Neverland Podcast reminisces about The Last Starfighter before Adam O’Brien talks about a possible sequel to the 1984 film, The Lost Starfighter. Chris from Arvada gets in a few words about Queen after hearing last week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

 

Don’t forget to contribute to Cure Childhood Cancer through the Annual GOLiverse Marathon by making your tax deductible donation to GeekOutOnline.com/cure by January 31st.  Then, feel free to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.39.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Whether you’re thawing out from a southern ice storm or you’re just waking up to piles of snow in your front yard, you’re in for a special treat this medieval Monday morning on TechnoRetro Dads as we plunge into dungeons, plow through dragons, embark on a quest for a queen, and even watch a dark Knight ride a bird into battle — a TransAm Firebird, that is — as shazbazzar and JediShua watch Knight Rider.  The Eighties are turned up to eleven for seventy-seven minutes of #TechnoRetro fun!

 

In the NEWS

The Incredibles 2 is likely to be the first Pixar movie to become a LEGO game and we think that’s just incredible!  Ralph Breaks the Internet with a single piece of concept art from Wreck It Ralph 2 with ads, avatars, and cat pics.  Childhood neighbor Fred Rogers earns a tribute with an upcoming documentary chronicling the life and legacy of Mr. Rogers.  Nintendo’s Game Boy is coming back, and Nintendo isn’t the one making it!

 

Vinyl Scratchback

This brand new segment takes the ‘Dads back to the ‘70s and ‘80s with recollections from their record collections as they recall their musical memories from Queen.  From “Another One Bites the Dust” to “Who Wants to Live Forever”, Queen thrilled audiences with front man, Freddie Mercury, on stage, on screen, and on the radio.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Adding to the “home console” section of the ever-growing imaginary TechnoRetro Arcade, the legendary Atari series Swordquest comes under scrutiny as shazbazzar and JediShua dive deep into Waterworld, dig into Earthworld, burn through Fireworld, and soar with the storks in Airworld.  Although Atari was unable to complete the intense, imaginative contest, the concept is an unforgettable part of the history of Atari games.

 

Saturday Mornings

Dungeons & Dragons continues to occupy the ‘Dads’ minds as we return to the short-lived series that began as an amusement park attraction based on the beloved role-playing game.  This time, shazbazzar and JediShua think about which characters from the cartoon best emulate who they were (or wanted to be) in the ‘80s.

 

Prime Time: Knight Rider 

David Hasselhoff played a man who did not exist in Knight Rider, an hour-long episodic action-drama on NBC that began in 1982.  Michael Knight championed the oppressed, the down-trodden, and the helpless each week as he rode around in a talking car with an indestructible, molecular-bonded armor shell.  The Knight Industries Two-Thousand (K.I.T.T.) looked like a nice, new Pontiac Firebird TransAm with a cylon visor on its grill, but it was actually crime-fighting supercar with an A.I. brain.  Knight Rider thrilled car-loving kids week after week as Hasselhoff drove the car, beat the bad guys, and got the girl in almost every episode.

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.

 

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Direct download: TRDads_05.38.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The hunt for the #TechnoRetro Easter Egg has begun, and though we have no idea what the ultimate reward will be, we’re sure it will be fun to play along the way, with creepy-kooky puzzles that could confuse even a Duke’s son.  So listen carefully, whether you’re a cultured sophisticate, an elitist intellectual, a nerdy geek, or even a bumbling barbarian.  

 

In the NEWS

Tetris player Jonas Neubauer (NubbinsGoody on Twitch) inadvertently broke a record while trying to set an entirely different record on the classic Russian block game.  Thanks to observant watchers of his Twitch stream, he found out he’s better than even he thought he was!  Holy Hollywood!  Los Angeles welcomes a museum devoted to the 1966 Batman movie and TV show with Adam West and Burt Ward.  It’s got everything from heroes to villains to (you guessed it) merchandise.  Mark your calendars for another eclipse this year, America!  The blue moon eclipse will hit skies near you at the end of the month.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

Steve and Chip from Too Much Scrolling find their way back in time to our present with a largely positive review of General Mills’ successful trolling of Kellogg’s with its challenge to make Frosted Flakes better — by combining sugar-coated corn flakes with the iconic Lucky Charms dehydrated marshmallows.  The guys from Too Much Scrolling will make your mouth water for a milk-filled bowl of Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes.  PLUS: The Emperor of RetroZap.com turns us on to a new brand of milk: Bottom of the Bowl Milk is just what you would expect: the remnants of great cereals flavoring the milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl.

 

Saturday Mornings

Although cartoons are no longer just Saturday morning fare, we still link sugary cereal with Saturday mornings and cartoons since that’s how we did it in the old days.  Back in the early ‘80s, a futuristic barbarian with his knock-off Wookiee counterpart and well-educated princess take down the baddies every week in a post-1994, cosmic-disaster Earth that borrows the TechnoRetro mysticism that captured pop-culture in 1977 and has maintained a healthy share of the market for the past forty years.  Thundarr the Barbarian wields his sunsword as Princess Ariel figures out how to defeat evil wizards and their minions on Saturdays as Ookla the Mok attempts to speak.  We think Ookla’s lack of communications skills is what causes him to resort to violence so often.

 

The Beastmaster 

The son of a king born of a cow (no, that’s not a slam on the queen) is gifted with the ability to communicate with animals in a very insightful way as he strives to defeat an evil priest who has seized power on an alien world.  Dar, played by Marc Singer, teams up with a black tiger, two ferrets, and a golden eagle to confront Maax in Rip Torn’s breakout role as a villain.  Tanya Roberts comes along for the ride as the token scantily-clad female in The Beastmaster, another iconic movie from 1982.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

“He’s hooked! He’s hooked! His brain is cooked!”  Before the song, there was the game.  Space crabs, squid, and various other invaders invaded spaces in bars, retail outlets, restaurants, and arcades in the late 1970s with this challenging and colorful game that was designed to get your heart beating faster and faster as you successfully eliminate enemies from outer space.  It’ll make you want to drop a quarter in the slot and grab a joystick when you hear the sound effects and music and remember the smell of popcorn at Hills Department Store…well, shazbazzar does.  Space Invaders may be the TechnoRetro Dad of all arcade games.

 

Feedback

Jonathan Bell discovers Pumpkin Spice at a local Steak N Shake.  Geeky Dad tries to tempt shazbazzar to try Kellog’s Frosted Flakes with pics of boxes of Chocolate Frosted Flakes.  SpiderShan gets blue with Cap’n Crunch when his wife brings home a box of Cap’n Crunch’s Blueberry Pancake Crunch.  Darth Hound discovers Freddy Krueger was almost played by Sark (from TRON, another great movie from 1982, Dave Dollar).  And speaking of TRON, the dark-side dog continued on Twitter with a chuckle about the computer jargon noted by Flynn.  PLUS: voice mails and voice messages from Darth Taxus and Adam from Wisconsin.

 

So send in your feedback, play along with the Ready Player One contest, and please don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_05.37.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Cold, cold, cold.  Well, what do you expect in winter?  But even for those who prefer it 80, 90, or 100 degrees, there are lots of things to love this week and look forward to in weeks to come.  Like spring.  And Ready Player One.  JeduShua and shazbazzar turn up the funmeter even when the thermometer drops with cereal, Atari games, and The Last Starfighter.

 

In the NEWS

Bill Finger gets credit for his part in writing the dark detective who dresses like a flying mammal as New York dedicates a street in the name of the co-creator of Batman.  Fledgling Star Wars composer John Powell will get some help from the original oxygenator of that galaxy far, far away as John Williams is tapped to score the theme of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Maybe Disney thinks this will help make up for the fans’ growing disillusionment with Lucasfilm in the modern era.  Maybe they just think John Williams is awesome and realize he should be the one to provide an iconic motif for the most lovable scoundrel in the universe.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

Super Mario cereal finds its way to JediShua’s pantry as Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blasted Shreds fill shazbazzar’s bowl with sweetness for their tastebuds.  Hey EarBuds, let us know which cereals you’re enjoying during this cold snap.

 

Ready Player One 

Although the ‘Dads have already discussed the official trailer for Ready Player One, shazbazzar and JediShua dig deeper into the trailer by comparing screen shots to scenes they’ve envisioned from the book and discover something interesting: this movie will not be spoiled by reading the book.  It’s almost entirely rewritten.

 

The Last Starfighter 

Ernie Cline’s second novel might have more in common with Jonathan Betuel’s screenplay for 1984’s The Last Starfighter, but when you have a video gamer stepping up a level to save the world, especially when he’s from a trailer park, you have to see the similarities.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Last Starfighter and still like it.  Even though the coifs, clothes, and cars are definitively ‘80s, the storyline is timeless and endearing every time you watch it.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, first person space shooters took control of home video game consoles with the likes of Star Fire, Star Raiders, and StarMaster.  Though lacking the quality of the Starfighter game featured in The Last Starfighter, these games kept fans of Star Wars and other sci-fi/space fantasy films engaged between movies.  

 

Feedback

Shane seems to think that General Mills is trolling Kellogg’s with the new Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes cereal we talked about last week.  Armando reminisces about his days as a barber, trimming hair of all colors at the Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop.  You could get birthday cake cupcakes with Fruity Pebbles at the Sprinkles Cupcake Shop last week, according to John.  Han’s dice and Rose’s Resistance ring from The Last Jedi will soon be available on Etsy.  Thanks, Dan!

 

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And get ready to play for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the upcoming TechnoRetro Egg Hunt starting next week.

 

Share and enjoy.

 

Direct download: TRDads_05.36.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The last two weeks of the year are always loaded with enough activity to keep shazbazzar and JediShua running hither, thither, and yon, so the first January 1st episode of TechnoRetro Dads is the perfect time to slow down and take stock of the things that really matter.  Fix yourself a bowl of your favorite cereal — maybe even two — and take a break on the first holiday of 2018 by kicking back in the recliner, plugging in your earbuds, and tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and General Mills is doing their part to keep it that way.  The Big G is making Frosted Flakes magically delicious, providing aging fans of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with the shredded wheat they need in their diet, and Cheerios that are “peachy keen”.  PLUS: JediShua’s family makes a cameo appearance on The Daily Blast live from The Cereal Box, Inc.

 

Feedback 

TRON gets some shout-outs (and interesting ideas) from EarBuds Chris in Arvada and Hasan.  SuperFriend Chris Hamilton adds another audio audition for The Voice with a Christmas song with #TechnoRetro flair.  Andy Lindemann spots The Star Wars Holiday Special in Supergirl. The Deucecast’s own Michael Nipp uncovers an animated feature from the ‘80s.  Original EarBud Kermmit the Frog (Jeremiah) sends an audio message of gratitude.  The Cereal Connoisseur posts some Star Wars Christmas gifts.  Mike Tarkin of The Sandcrawler watches Christmas morning home movies.  SpiderShan pieces together cereal in an exciting way.  Twitteriffic Darth Hound gives more insight into Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.  ObiRothKenobi chimes in from the Mixlr Zoo Crew about Magnum P.I. and the Cap’n’s Christmas Crunch.  Jeremy, the Spider-Pan from Neverland, reminisces about when E.T. came home on video.  And the ever-present Chef Armando makes our mailbag tasty as always.

 

Coming Soon to Theaters

As 2018 rolls out, new movies will be hitting the theaters.  From space pirates to superheroes to video games, the number of truly #TechnoRetro movies will keep you in the dark (seated in your favorite seat) all year long.

The new year has begun, EarBuds, and we’ll do our best to bring memories of the past and hope for the future all wrapped up in the present on TechnoRetro Dads.  Thanks for listening.

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com

 

Share and enjoy.

 

Direct download: TRDads_05.35.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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