With perhaps the most disjointed and cram-packed episode of TechnoRetro Dads ever, shazbazzar and JediShua apologize if you feel blindsided, upside-down, or threatened by enormous lizards with atomic breath as you start this work week.  Corny jokes, news-ish stories, aftershocks, cartoons, video games, and fictional history are all stuffed into your audio toy box of nostalgia.  Give us 77 minutes, and we’ll take of the “wait”.

In the NEWS…

Valentine’s Day in Colorado came with original V-Day “cards” (including spoons), stranger boxes, and lots of love.  Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is cast to take down an even bigger monster in 2019.  The radio drama version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets animated.

We Love our Cereal!

After talking about Girl Scout cereal for weeks, we dive into a bowl of Caramel Crunch with yummy, crunchy results.  Samoas (Caramel deLites) get a tasty treatment that ranks rather high with each Oneida spoonful.

Aftershocks of 1977

“A shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner” has been the recipe for weight loss for millions for the past forty years.  Slim Fast hit store shelves in 1977 and has continued to endure even while fad diets come and go.  Catapulting baseball manager Tommy Lasorda into TechnoRetro fame, the commercials alone are permanently etched into GenX’s collective memory.  Get ready to put away your fat pants and tighten your belt because this diet product really works!

Saturday Mornings

EarBud Rory O’Toole suggests another theme song for the segment as the ‘Dads remember the voice of Jim Backus as Quincy Magoo, the doddering, legally blind cartoon who epitomizes the physical comedy that was popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s.  So turn on the television of your minds and sit down for What’s New Mr. Magoo?.   

Toys in the Attic

Shogun Warriors were popular in the mid-seventies (and have made a big comeback with kids of that era today), and one of their biggest hits was the towering, twenty-inch version of Godzilla by Mattel.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember hours of destructive fun as they brought the gigantic lizard into their playtime with Star Wars figures and army men.

TechnoRetro Arcade

JediShua’s most recent trip to the Hyperspace Arcade brought him joyful memories of vector graphics and clever game play with Space Duel, an Atari release from 1982 that resembled asteroids with colorful, three-dimensional objects attacking a dual-ship controlled by one or two players.  The only multi-player vector game by Atari was the company’s response to less-than-stellar sales of their Asteroids Deluxe video game.  Space Duel earns its place in the TechnoRetro Arcade.

History Lesson

Since it’s Presidents’ Day, it’s only right to include some patriotic history from Independence Day: Resurgence as the ESD Moonbase opens in 2009.  Plus, Scott Bakula leaps back to 1958 to sort out Marty Elroy’s family problems in Quantum Leap.

How can we bring you all this sweet TechnoRetro goodness in 77 minutes with no calories?  The magic of nostalgia, that’s how.  Of course, input from our EarBuds via Twitter @TechnoRetroDads or on Facebook help, too.  So let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or you can give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

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Questions abound on this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads: What is an 8-Track tape?  What is JediShua saying in French?  Can Olive Oyl’s love make Popeye stronger than a can of spinach?  Who is the biggest fan of Battlestar Galactica? Should I stay or should I go?  And, most importantly, are you ready for Valentine’s Day tomorrow?  You still have time if you’re listening to TechoRetro Dads this Monday morning.  Just another reason to start your work week right every Monday. 

In the NEWS…

Even though the Falcons squandered their three quarter lead to fall to the Patriots in overtime, the most exciting moments came at halftime with great commercials as well as trailers for upcoming movies, complete with Johnny Cash music.  We’re especially excited about the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but Stranger Things 2 really got our #TechnoRetro hearts pumping with Ghostbusters costumes and promises of a return to the Upside Down.  Not all news is good news, though, as we bid farewell to the heroic Viper pilot who started his search for the thirteenth colony on the mythical world of Earth nearly forty years ago.  Battlestar Galactica’s original Captain Apollo (and anti-captain Tom Zerek), Richard Hatch, departed this life, leaving us memories of his time on screen and off screen as the good guy who really was a good guy.

Aftershocks of 1977

Beginning in 1977 with the publication of its first original novel, Del Rey Books has brought us forty years of fantasy and science fiction novels including Terry Brooks’ Shannara series, shelves full of Star Wars novels, and many more.  Featuring well known authors like Brian Daley and Alan Dean Foster, we re-experienced movies through novelizations as well as continued the stories from far away galaxies to imaginative stories from long ago from childhood to today.   

History Lesson

A sweet replicant named PRIS booted up on Valentine’s Day last year in Blade Runner, the same day the world was supposed to end according to Ghostbusters 2, while a futuristic AT-TE gets a patent for Weyland Industries thirty-five years into the future.  Also this week, Geordi La Forge will be born, not in France, but in the African Confederation.  And a robbery is foiled by a darker version of Qui-Gon Jinn in Darkman.

Flashback Games TechnoRetro Flashback

After his recent trip to a local video arcade, JediShua recalls playing the Popeye video game and provides some insight as he instructs shazbazzar during last summer’s trip to Loganville, Georgia’s Flashback Games Grill and Retro Arcade.  Complete with audio footage from July, you’ll hear the mastery of JediShua as he tells shazbazzar score more than 1,000 points.

Feedback

Thanks to our EarBuds for making this episode fantastic with their feedback from previous episodes on social media, in electronic-Ms, and even in person.  We respond to Derek Spier, Jeffrey Fischbach, Chris Hamilton, Michael Goldtrap, Joey Letson, and T-Bird Thomas Thompson in our Feedback segment.  Thanks for the comments and corrections you send our way week after week. 

So put your finger on the Twitter and tweet @TechnoRetroDads with your answers to our questions as shazbazzar and JediShua continue their trek through the decades in the fog of confusion.  Whether you have some tips to help us make it through the Popeye video game or you want to share your memories of Richard Hatch (from Battlestar Galactica, not Survivor), give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

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Can you eat frozen yogurt with chopsticks?  Honestly, we’ve never tried, but this might just be the day to give it your best shot.  After the Patriots rallied in the second half to put the Super Bowl in overtime and defeat the Falcons, it seems like anything could happen on a Monday morning.  So grab a bowl of Girl Scout cookies cereal, EarBuds, and sit down for a BONUS LENGTH episode as controversial animator Ralph Bakshi sends shockwaves through time with his 1977 fantasy film, Wizards.

In the NEWS…

Nicole Kidman is Aquaman’s mother and the Black Manta will be challenging the superhero of the seas in the upcoming DC movie.  Director Chad Staheleski focuses on improved continuity for his reboot of Highlander, hoping to make a trilogy of movies.  Pac-Man’s father dies at 91 — the video arcade generation mourns. 

Aftershocks of 1977

In the wake of cultural upheaval brought about by the civil rights movement, Kennedy assassinations, and the unpopular war in Vietnam emerged a jarring animated vision of a post-apocalyptic world millions of years in the future where elves and fairies battle mutants and demons in a war between two brothers.  In Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards, twins Avatar and Blackwolf engage in a showdown between freedom and fascism in a truly unique amalgamation of various artistic styles, live action sequences, and cheaply produced “rotoscoping” that burned itself into the collective consciousness of a generation.  With similar themes and plot devices to Star Wars, it seems as if both Bakshi and Lucas had tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with their fantasy films in 1977.  Pitting magic against technology and juxtaposing modern war machines against swordplay, Wizards and Star Wars both successfully captured the imaginations of viewers.  JediShua and shazbazzar go in-depth in their appreciation for this weird “fairy tale”.  

History Lesson

Everyone has to be born sometime, whether they’re wizards obsessed with muggle culture or sidekicks who like to cheat at cards.  This week’s History Lesson reveals the ages of the likes of Arthur Weasley, Short Round, and the big, green bulk with orange hair from Street Fighter.

So set up the projector with your favorite fascist’s propaganda films and start terrorizing fairies and elves in your quest to dominate the planet. Or, even better, plug in your ear buds this morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you think about Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

If the rooster hasn’t crowed yet to wake up your family with his built-in alarm cluck, why not show your appreciation for bubble wrap by twisting and popping a sheet to get everybody’s day going?  It’s the year of the rooster in China, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day in the West, and the prevalent prognosicator from Punxatawney is just about to place his predictions about the weather this week.  So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and enjoy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro.

In the NEWS…

JediShua reveals forty year-old news via a recent IO9 article about the Death Star trench from Star Wars: A New Hope.  It just may be that the trench run takes place someplace you hadn’t expected.  And the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and The Dick Van Dyke Show is laid to rest in Connecticut over the weekend.

Saturday Mornings

Introduced as part of the title credits of a Blake Edwards film starring Peter Sellers, the Pink Panther graced television screens in our youngest days every Saturday morning.  With music by Henry Mancini and William Lava, these animated shorts were small on talk and big on “show, don’t tell” as the curious character provided hours of physical comedy in brief segments on The Pink Panther Show.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember their experiences with the Pink Panther, as well as The Ant and the Aardvark, while listening to various performances of the iconic theme song.  PLUS: shazbazzar agrees with Scott Ryfun that the Aardvark sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders.  

Aftershocks of 1977

The computer era gets rolling in 1977 with the release of three popular home computers.  Commodore’s PET is revealed, the Apple II begins production, and Radio Shack gets in the game with a fully assembled home computer, complete with monitor, for $599.  The TRS-80 started in earnest on February second as the design stage of this memorable computer began its trek from concept to store shelves in 1977.  Affectionately called the “Trash 80”, this home computer would soon be found in schools, small businesses, and homes in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  Most GenXers had at least some interaction with the TRS-80 during their youth, learning to program in BASIC, rolling through the numbers on tape drive counters, and generally just having fun as computers began their quest to take over the world from every house on the planet.

History Lesson

Of course, there’s a lot taking place on February second in fictional history, but this week is loaded with past and future events from Potter to Prometheus and everything in between.

So pour a bowl of cereal, plug in your ear buds, and start thinking PINK this Monday morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

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What is covered in hair, walks on its two big feet, and is susceptible to female charms?  If you guessed Cousin It, you’re wrong.  He wears a size six.  But if you thought about that prehistoric superhero who flies and wields a club, you are right on track!  We have Captain Caveman on the brain just like the Teen Angels have a cave on the roof of their van.  You know it’s gonna be a great Monday when cavemen are featured in the jokes!

In the NEWS…

Funko brings out a new line of collectibles resembling Playmobil figures of pop culture favorites like Willy Wonka.  “The Greatest Show on Earth” will have only a few more scheduled appearances before Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus closes forever.  JediShua found an arcade in a local brewery while shazbazzar discovered that scientists have discovered a new species of Gibbons they dubbed “Skywalker”.  PLUS: Ponch and Jon return to the California Highway Patrol in an upcoming movie-version spoof of the late ‘70s classic TV show, CHiPs.

Saturday Mornings

Hanna Barbara cartoons reigned on Saturday mornings on all of the major networks.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit Captain Caveman from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup.  With Cavey, Taffy, Brenda, and Dee Dee, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels find themselves in the midst of one mystery after another as they travel across the country in their custom cave van with authentic living quarters on the roof. It’s been a while since the ‘Dads talked about the diminutive prehistoric superhero, and we certainly have more to add to our former conversation which you can hear here.

Aftershocks of 1977

Get ready to blast off into space on with the world’s first space plane in the modern era.  NASA’s OV-101, Enterprise, would make its first flights in 1977, ushering in more than three decades of a successful space shuttle program.  JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the good and the bad as well as the very long history of using reusable shuttles to make trips into “near space”.  From the 1930s to today, the idea of space planes, space shuttles, and space taxis have continued to become reality since the Enterprise took its first piggy-back ride.  

Whether you’re shouting your name to muster strength and courage, or you’re simply studying for your “History in Aerospace” test, you’ll have fun in past, present, and future tense with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

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Greetings, Programs!  

Whether the weather is wonderfully warm or you’re experiencing a blistering blizzard like the record-setting cold snap this week in 1977, TechnoRetro Dads bring you a variety show of the past in the present on this holiday Monday morning for your day off from work.

In the NEWS…

The Computer Electronics Show revealed some amazing gadgets this year that will certainly wind up under the tree this Christmas.  Lego introduced Lego Boost, programmable robotic Lego sets aimed at children 7 and up that move and respond to commands and sensors and teach coding in a uniquely Lego style.  Nintendo looks for another hit in 2017 with the Super Retro Boy — a handheld gaming unit that capitalizes on Game Boy nostalgia.  Polaroid reminds consumers of their instant cameras with the touchscreen Polaroid Pop digital camera and Kodak promises to release a less expensive Super 8 camera than last year’s release.  But some of the biggest “retronews” this week is Shout Factory’s reboot of the ‘80s video game show Starcade. You can hear more about this on this week’s ARGcast.

Saturday Mornings

Sid and Marty Krofft consistently put out Saturday morning fare for GenXers in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Krofft Supershow from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup.  The Krofft Supershow included a glam rock band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs who introduced a variety of short episodic mini-shows with music and corny jokes — perfect for TechnoRetro Dads!  With teenagers fighting crime and outwitting villains on mysterious islands, on beaches, in the city, and in the wilderness, shows like Bigfoot and Wildboy, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, and Magic Mondo, the late morning slot on Saturday morning lineups was just the thing to send kids out the door to play with their friends.

Aftershocks of 1977

Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua turn the page in Starlog magazine to discover the retro journalistic fervor surrounding the excitement about the first Star Trek film.  As the hype surrounding George Lucas’s highly anticipated masterpiece Star Wars signaled a return of science fiction to the silver screen, Star Trek seemed like a natural fit for audiences wanting to visit outer space in movie theaters.  Thirteen movies later, this article from January 1977 has continued resonating with its own aftershocks.  

Capping off this week’s episode with Feedback from our EarBuds, you’re sure to enjoy a trip back in time while living in a futuristic present with tidbits our friends are sharing with us each week.  Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Dads?  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

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Greetings, Programs!  

With disco on the airwaves, Datsuns in driveways, and home video gaming consoles earning their shelf space in dens around the world, the lives we lead today and the entertainment we enjoy forty years later can be traced back to a banner year on history’s calendar.  Of course, 1977 is recognizable as the year of Star Wars, but many more things we still enjoy today had their roots in a year that may well be our favorite (if we were choosing favorites, which we are not — just so you know).

In the NEWS…

Star Wars earns another cool statistic in the record books with two movies in the same franchise having top ten box office earners last year with The Force Awakens grossing the tenth most money in theaters and Rogue One earning its spot just a bit behind Finding Dory in just over two weeks in theaters.  One Day at a Time is being remade to stream online with a Cuban flair.  And for something new: Beyond has tapped into crossover territory with a TV premiere on FreeForm before its release as binge-bait with the remaining nine episodes streaming on Hulu before airing on television.

We Love Our Cereal

Some entrepreneurs in Memphis have taken the Cereal Bar idea on the road by merging a cereal cafe with a food truck.  The ‘Dads think this is a great idea, and if you’re in the Memphis area, we would like to hear if you’ve seen this cereal bars on wheels in the area.  Better yet, if you have tasted one of their creations, let us know what you thought about the experience!

Saturday Mornings

What got kids up early on Saturday mornings back in 1977 (well, other than hugemongous bowls of sugary sweet cereal)?  Saturday morning programming on television.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember the days when Saturday morning fare was different from what could be seen during the week.  In this episode, the ‘Dads remember The All New Superfriends as aired in 1977.  The most significant addition to this version of Superfriends was the Wonder Twins who could shape shift into various animals and phases of water as they faced trouble at home and around the world.

Toys in the Attic

As video arcades grew in popularity in the late ‘70s, the market was ripe for home versions of hit games in malls and shopping centers.  Just a few weeks after the Fairchild Channel F became a popular Christmas gift in 1976, the less colorful and somewhat less user-friendly RCA Studio II was released.  Its lifespan was quickly reduced by the powerhouse Atari VCS which emerged in fall of 1977.  JediShua and shazbazzar talk a bit about arcades and a bit more about home video games in this week’s “Toys in the Attic”.

History Lesson

Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua point to a couple of iconic premiers on television later this week forty years ago.  Fantasy Island was first seen on television on Friday, January 14th and the Coneheads pointed their heads to the stars for the first time on Saturday Night Live on January 15th as alien characters began to show up on favorite television shows.  

Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Das?  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

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As we remember 2016 and look forward to 2017, we are all reminded of the royal losses we’ve suffered over the past year.  From the Goblin King himself, David Bowie, last January to Prince to our final farewell to our Princess, Carrie Fisher, we’ve all faced some harsh realities over the past twelve months.  JediShua and shazbazzar are joined with long-time friends Craig Batts and Jack Crabtree to celebrate Carrie Fisher and the impact she made on a generation over the past forty years.  The true heroine of Star Wars, Carrie Fisher portrayed Princess Leia with a snippy, quippy, snarkiness that endeared her to fans as anything but a damsel-in-distress.  Over the years, our Princess proved her power in films, books, panels, and interviews.  More than a pop icon, Carrie Fisher opened her life like a book (and in books), giving hope to hundreds, if not thousands, who struggle with hardships in life.  At the age of sixty, she was taken from us.  Still, her life and legend will touch generations.

We Love Our Cereal

You’re going to love what General Mills has in store for you!  Purchase any three specially marked Big G cereals and get a free ticket to Rogue One from General Mills.  Find out more on their website.

Looking Ahead

Let’s face it, 2016 wasn’t all bad.  The Cubs did win the World Series, although a year later than prophesied in the ‘80s.  However, for those who seem to have lost hope, we look forward to some exciting accomplishments and events sure to come in 2017.  From space exploration to a solar eclipse (another prophecy from 1989), we’re picking up good vibrations in our expectations for the future in the next twelve months.  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

After tuning in to this week’s episode, keep your earbuds at the ready and check out Rogue One again with shazbazzar, Steve Glosson, and Scott Ryfun as they provide a running commentary on Rogue One (and a variety of other things) on the first publicly released commentary of the new Star Wars movie.  You can find it at Geek Out Loud or My Star Wars Story.

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Who would have ever thought that a Monday could be restful?  After the craziness that always seems to accompany Christmas, things have slowed down just a bit so shazbazzar and JediShua have a few minutes to talk about Rogue One.  Well, more than just a few minutes.  Get ready for Star Wars!

Rogue One

We spotted many of the same things other fans of the franchise saw and heard in Rogue One our first weekend with the movie, but we were keeping a watchful eye open for Easter Eggs, connections with other aspects of Star Wars (both canonical and legends), and cool things about this movie that took us right back to 1977 when Star Wars first hit the big screens. And we would like to hear your thoughts about the latest Star Wars movie, as well.  As always, you can call our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or send us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so does our SuperFriend Steve Glosson of Geek Out Loud.  Tune in as Steve gives step-by-step instructions about how to make his own “Cereal Surprise”.  No kidding — his concoctions will surprise you!

Check out this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads as we prepare to close out 2016 and welcome 2017 with a blast from the Death Star as we steal some Beta tapes and watch FCTV videos featuring Jason, Pete, Boxy, and a few more surprises along the way.

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Professor Hinkle blamed a malfunctioning magic hat for his failure as an entertainer, but the truth is, he was just a bad guy. Of course, we all discovered that years ago watching Frosty the Snowman (another Rankin/Bass special), but we’ve never discovered why Santa Claus would bring any presents to evil magicians. There’s just something anti-canonical about that idea in Santa lore.  However, with a brand new Star Wars story in theaters, we can easily overlook this slight error in canon. Rogue One premiered this weekend, and the ‘Dads have enjoyed sharing the magic of 1977 with their families and friends — and boy, oh, boy it was AMAZING (more about that will come in later episodes)! To top it all off,  shazbazzar hit double-fours yesterday with some fun greetings from fantastic friends.  It’s all here for you on this last Monday morning before Christmas.  

We Love Our Cereal

The Monster Cereals election results are in, leaving one ‘Dad distressed as the other really rubs it in — but seriously, did the other candidates really have a chance against the unique hairstylings of the Count?  Nope.  And we have the numbers to prove it!  PLUS: Christmas cereals of 2016 get brief reviews as Cinnamon Crunch needs to keep the Toast in the title.  Both shazbazzar and JediShua bring their final holiday cereal recipes to the table with Holiday Chocolate/Peanut Butter Cereal Peanut Butter Bars and Frosty’s Flakes (this part of TechnoRetro Dads may be unsuitable for fearful listeners).

Frosty the Snowman

It’s time to rediscover another Rankin/Bass classic with Frosty the Snowman. With the voice talents of Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, and John Goodman (nope, that was Frosty Returns, of which we will not speak).  While both ‘Dads remember watching this when they were kids, shazbazzar was traumatized by the melting of everyone’s favorite frozen man. 

Toys in the Attic

Classic boardgames deserve a look every Christmas.  This week, we name just a few — Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Candy Land, Mastermind, Chinese Checkers, and more are discussed briefly in this final gift-giving Christmas Toys in the Attic.

So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and head out to the stores for your final week of shopping before the big man squeezes his way down your chimney this weekend.

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