Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

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

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

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

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.

 

 

Share and enjoy.

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

Happy Life Day!  

The Star Wars Holiday Special has entertained fans for thirty-nine years.  Whether people love it or hate it — whether they enjoy it or poke fun at it — The Star Wars Holiday Special is a piece of entertainment that has long outlived its intended life span.  

As a special treat for all EarBuds, this special TechnoRetro Dads “The Making of The Star Wars Holiday Special” Holiday Special will reveal just how this legendary piece of Star Wars lore came into existence.  Listen in to an actual reenactment in the boardroom where The Star Wars Holiday Special was initially conceived and the concept was developed forty years ago today: November 17, 1977.

 

The Actual 1977 Audio Clips

Without these sets of interviews, segments of popular shows, and the fabulous behind-the-scenes TV special, The Making of Star Wars, this episode of TechnoRetro Dads would not exist.  (Perhaps, The Star Wars Holiday Special would not exist, either.)  

These clips from 1977 are as follows:

  • A 1977 Bobbie Wygant interview with Harrison Ford 
  • The 1977 BBC Blue Peter Interview with Mark Hamill 
  • A 1977 BBC Parkinson Show with Alec Guiness
  • The Mike Douglas Show from 1977 with Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, & Mark Hamill, 
  • Candid Camera
  • Donny & Marie Osmond Show (S3:E1) 
  • The Making of Star Wars Television Special

 

The 2017 Cast of Reenactors

We get by with a lot of help from our SuperFriends.  Thanks to Scott Ryfun of My Star Wars Story, Mike Macdonald of The Sandcrawler on RetroZap.com, and Steve Glosson from The Big Honkin’ Show, Geek Out Loud, Disney Vault Talk, Mark Out Loud, DVT Star Wars Rebels, Rock Out Loud, and anything else on GeekOutOnline.com.

 

Are You New to The Star Wars Holiday Special?

We’ve been covering it for four years.  This is the fourth episode.  If you would like to hear other episodes, check the links below:

2013 “The Lumpy Peanuts Made Me Itchy” (features Skot Kirkwood from starwarsholidayspecial.com)

2014 “Holiday Special 2014” (with Joe Tavano from Brews & Blasters on RetroZap.com, Chris Hamilton from The Star Wars KidsCast, and Mike MacDonald from The Sandcrawler on RetroZap.com)

2015 “Holiday Special 2015” (features Art Director and Concept Artist Paul Bateman from Rebel Force Radio’s Star Wars Influences)

2016 “Holiday Special Special Edition Remix” (expands the story from the 2014 Holiday Special with additional the additional talents of Scott Ryfun of My Star Wars Story and Dinner 4 Geeks and Steve Glosson of the GOLiverse)

 

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_2017_Holiday_Special.mp3
Category:Holiday Special -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Greetings, Programs!  

 

Sandwiched between the 35th anniversary of TRON and JediShua’s birthday is this campy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro fun complete with ‘Dad jokes, cereal chatter, news, and your feedback.  Buckle up your safety restraints, EarBuds — we’re about to hit 88MPH for some fun in the past, present, and future!

 

In the NEWS…

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is coming back to theaters right before it’s 40th anniversary.  Check your local theaters for listings this September.  TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is biding his time waiting for Disney to re-green-light TR3N by directing another sequel to an ‘80s classic — Chick Flick Disguised as Action Movie 2 (otherwise known as Top Gun 2) with 1Direction…or not.  Kevin Bacon comes back to make a Tremors TV show.  Retro Arcades continue to intrigue consumers with a tabletop controller now available for purchase.

 

We Love Our Cereal

BIG NEWS for small cereal: Tiny Toast has been retitled under the “Toast Crunch” genre of cereals with Strawberry Toast Crunch and Blueberry Toast Crunch.  And the ‘Dads review Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch, too.  What could go wrong with box art like this expanding series of  toast and cereal combinations.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade

After a good, healthy breakfast (with natural apple flavoring), it’s time for a burger… er, uh, it’s BURGER TIME!  JediShua and shazbazzar remember playing this Dig-Dug / Donkey Kong mash-up featuring oversized food that would make Wreck-It-Ralph’s mouth water.

 

Feedback

The EarBuds share their minds with shazbazzar and JediShua on the topics of cereal, carbonated beverages, parenting techniques, and more from Derek Spier, Mike MacDonald, Jeremy the Spider-Pan from The Neverland Podcast, Chris Black from Arvada, and a new EarBud, Nick Valentine.

 

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 local conventions, Burger Time, or anything else 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_05.14.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 3:30am EDT

We’ve got a long way to go and just 77 minutes to get there.  And though we’re not doing anything that they said can’t be done, we’re doing it fun, fast, and with (a little) flair… and having some laughs along the way.       

 

In the NEWS…

The Thing is making its way to the realm of board games with The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 and Mondo Tees is offering a special edition of the movie-based game this October.  If you think that banana candy doesn’t taste like bananas, you’re bananas!  You just haven’t tasted the right variety of banana — and neither have we — because they’re extinct.  Dr. Ian Malcolm is coming back to the Jurassic Galaxy after doing a little dancing during the closing credits of Guardians of the Galaxy.  Blondie goes under the sea as Debbie Harry and Chris Stein become the queen and king of Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade this year.

 

Smokey & The Bandit

From its premiere six days before Star Wars in 1977 to its wide release on May 27th, Smokey & The Bandit played second fiddle to the movie that changed everything forever.  The second highest grossing movie of the year, this comedic action adventure is as iconic to American pop culture as its 40 year-old counterpart.  Featuring Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Sally Field, and Jackie Gleason, Smokey & The Bandit chases Bandit and Snowman from Texarkana to Atlanta as they bootleg 400 cases of Coors to win a bet with the loquacious Buford T. Justice in hot pursuit.  It’s a ridiculous riot of racing and ramping in a black Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am.  And if you’ve never seen it, you might be able to catch it in theaters next week!

 

Aftershocks of 1977

Although the Pontiac Firebird debuted a decade earlier and the Trans-Am package had been in existence since 1969, the featured car from Smokey & The Bandit inspired a drastic increase in sales of Trans-Ams by nearly 50% in a year to almost doubling sales by 1979.  The popularity of the car saw it featured more and more over the years including another black version of the ride being given artificial intelligence and the voice of Mr. Feeney as KITT in NBC’s Knight Rider with David Hasselhoff driving (who just also happened to make a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2).  PLUS: shazbazzar avoids a horrific crash in a 1995 Trans-Am in a very unexpected (and unexciting) way.

 

Feedback

The past couple episodes of TechnoRetro Dads have generated loads of discussion on social media, voice messages, and electronic-M.  Thanks to the voices of Mark All, Scott Ryfun, Chris Black, Steve Glosson, Mike MacDonald, Steven Chopchik, Michael Goldtrap, Darth Taxus, and Michael Nipp, we enjoy more discussion about arcade games, cereal, ‘70s sci-fi TV, videotapes, and an amazing mini car racetrack.

 

Let us know what you’re thinking by contacting us on social media or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher. 

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_05.06.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Thirty-Eight years ago, television audiences were invited into the quirkier side of life in that galaxy far, far away on the Star Wars Holiday Special.  Fortunate fans were welcomed into Chewbacca’s home to wait with his wife, son, and father for him to come home for Life Day, a celebration of joy and peace among Wookiees.  On 17 November 1978, before most homes had VCRs to record this one-time broadcast, eager Star Wars fans tuned in for an unexpected combination of aliens, stormtroopers, comedy sketches, musical numbers, and the heroes of the movie that captured the consciousness of the world over the past eighteen months.  The resultant two-hour special left some fans befuddled, some frustrated, and some gleeful just to see more adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

 

The Star Wars Holiday Special is a tribute to the late 70s, preserving the flavor of popular television shows and the gaudy glam of disco culture.  Featuring well-known television stars Harvey Korman, Art Carney, and Bea Arthur, what worked well with audiences week after week on sketch comedy shows has been widely panned among viewers since then.  Perhaps it brought the Star Wars galaxy just a little too close to our own.  Musical guests Diahann Carroll and The Jefferson Starship lit up the imagination through sight and sound with their “in universe” performances — one of which, at least, seems entirely inappropriate for family viewing and will make you squirm in your seat.

 

Since first seeing it, shazbazzar and JediShua have held a special affection for the Star Wars Holiday Special, resulting in annual tributes to this memorable moment of our childhoods.  This year, the TechnoRetro Dads Holiday Special remixes segments from the 2014 Holiday Special into a TechnoRetro Special Edition that shows other homes were experiencing the same anticipation and anxieties about friends and families arriving in time for Life Day as Malla, Lumpy, and Itchy experienced in their home.  Hopefully, the dialogue will be easier to understand than the grunts and growls of the Wookiees on this special.  Reprising their roles from the earlier version are Sheldon and Chase Norton, Mike MacDonald, Chris Hamilton, Joe Tavano, the Shualings, and musical group High Adventure.  Additionally, the shazlings join in to prepare a meal with help from Steve Glosson, Scott Ryfun lends his voice to the mix, and a few more songs by High Adventure find their way into the story prepared especially for our EarBuds for this Life Day Celebration.

Direct download: TRDads_Holiday_Special_2016.mp3
Category:Holiday Special -- posted at: 7:04am EDT

Thanks to our SuperFriends north of the border, Chris Hamilton and Mike MacDonald, we’ve all become aware of the ‘70s kids variety show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein.  With various segments of sketch comedy tempered with a few doses of educational material, HHoF entertained kids through the ‘70s and ‘80s and beyond — all from material filmed within a nine-month span of time.  Now, for the first time, shazbazzar and JediShua explore the corridors, crypts, kitchen, and radio station (?) of Castle Frightenstein with outbursts of gleeful surprise with this totally retro mix of kooky camp and inventive talent from Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Vincent Price, Billy Van, Billy Van, Fishka Rais, Billy Van, Joe Torbay, Billy Van, and more.  (Did I mention Billy Van?)  Cereal Connoisseur Sheldon Norton joins the ‘Dads to lend a Canadian point-of-view to the discussion.

 

History Lesson

From the present to the past and Back to the Future, this week’s history lesson involves remarkable firsts by Einstein the shaggy dog, the people from the Green Planet, Frodo Baggins, classy Classic X-Men, and Michael Myers.  PLUS: major thirds, augmented fourths, and a bit more time-traveling with Jean-Claude Van Damme.  Some of these tidbits of fictional facts are bound to stir your memories about things that happened in history this week.

 

So strap your monster on the operating table, get your latest, greatest invention, and dust the cobwebs off your library books for guaranteed fun with the Count, Igor, Gronk, Grizelda, Dr. PetVet, and the Wolfman (who may be a previous incarnation of Dave Filoni) for a return to brown couches, green carpet, and polyester double-knit leisure suits for 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro pleasure with Doublemint gum.

 

Share and Enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_04.29_HHoF.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

Greetings, Programs!

In commemoration of the foundation of the country, TechnoRetro Dads celebrates with this special episode from Canadia, by Canadians, for Americans…and anyone else who wants to tune in.  For Canada Day, Chris Hamilton and Mike MacDonald invade from the Great White North to confiscate the mics from shazbazzar and JediShua and create a Strange Brew of CanadianRetro memories that even Yanks can appreciate (however, shazbazzar does not appreciate the insinuation that he is a “Yankee”).  From Rick Moranis to Bryan Adams to John Candy to Rick Moranis (again), Chris and Mike complete the circle with some expected favorites and some surprises (What?!  I never knew that _______________ was from Canada!  How did they let him cross the border?)

Since most of North America is celebrating holidays anyway, why not bookend this weekend by celebrating our nations’ foundations?  So grab a hockey stick, pull out the Burger King Empire Strikes Back tumblers, put your feet up, and enjoy the polite tones of Canada.  After all, you have all weekend to wait for another regular episode of TechnoRetro Dads.

Share and Enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_Canadiana_Extravaganza.mp3
Category:National Holiday -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Greetings, Programs!  

 

Did you search for TechnoRetro Dads on Google?  Did the screen look strange?  Are your YouTube videos sporting a lightsaber timeline?

Star Wars is everywhere, and we’re thrilled!  From trailers to TV spots to toys to clothes, cereal, and Cover Girl make-up, that galaxy far, far away is getting up close and personal wherever you go.

 

As we recover from a weekend of family, feasting, and (of course) Six Flags, we officially begin to talk about the next holiday season — and some Christmas toys, too.  SuperFriends Mike MacDonald and Chris Hamilton ride their mooses (meese? moosii?) down from the frigid tundras of Canadia to challenge American junk food cuisine and more.

 

So grab a box of Golden Grahams and plug in your ear buds, EarBuds.  It’s another TechnoRetro Monday!

 

Direct download: TRDads_03.32.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:40am EDT

1