If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones.  This week, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade turns 30 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom turns 35!  

In the NEWS:

• The Muppet Movie returns to theaters
• New Coke returns with Stranger Things 3

SuperFriend: Antony Soehner

The author of Gather the Party, Unite the Party, and Assemble the Party stops in for a chat about Denver Pop Culture Convention, lessons learned in the adventure of writing, and what we are likely to see from him next.

The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade

Indiana Jones returned to theaters in 1984 and 1989 with a prequel and a sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is set before the events of Raiders as Indy and Short Round end up rescuing enslaved children in India.  We get an even earlier look at our adventurous archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when we see Henry Jones, Jr. as a Boy Scout in the sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.  PLUS: shazbazzar and Jedi Shua remember the night they saw Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom at Hollywood Studios in 2010.

TechnoRetro Arcade: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

If arcade adventure has a name, it might be Indiana Jones.  In 1985, the arcade adaptation of Temple of Doom hit malls, pizza places, and skating rinks with a fun rendition of the movie that drove the MPAA to invent the PG-13 rating.  Rescue slaves.  Defeat Thuggees.  Return the Sankara stones.  All in the name of fortune and glory (the arcade makes a fortune in quarters by the guy who gets the glory for his high score on the game).

Feedback:

EarBud Jedi Holmes shares the origin story of the Mogwai from Gremlins and reveals Hondo in the next issue of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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 merchandise 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.

Whether you remember him from The Carol Burnett Show, The Apple Dumpling Gang, or his appearances as Dorf on The Tonight Show or home video releases, if you remember Tim Conway, you remember him fondly.  We remember the laughter and joy he brought us from childhood into the age and size of grown-ups.

In the NEWS:

• TRON goes vertical in Walt Disney World
• Muppet Babies are actual Muppets again
• Comedian Tim Conway dies at age 85 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and new kid-style adult-cereal claims to love us back.  Magic Spoon launches four flavors of “healthy” cereal with a hefty price tag.  PLUS: Toy Story 4 has inspired cereal makers to create Carnival Berry cereal.

TechnoRetro Arcade

CONSPIRACY: The government used unsuspecting video gamers in arcades in the Pacific Northwest in psychological experiments in 1981 through a strange coin-operated game called Polybius.

CONTROVERSY: Polybius is an urban legend that has contributed to countless hours wasted in search of a fictional video game that never really existed.

Which side do you take in the ongoing debate about Polybius?

TIM CONWAY:

From The Carol Burnett Show to Saturday Mornings with The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Tim Conway lent his vocal talent as well as his knack for physical comedy to television screens across America.

But that’s not all!  When families said, “Let’s All Go to the Movies” in the ‘70s, it could have been in anticipation of lots of laughter in response to watching the comedic prowess of Tim Conway in The Apple Dumpling Gang or The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.

Thanks, Tim Conway, for years of funniness and fond memories!

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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 merchandise 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.

Chewbacca immediately connected with audiences, both young and old, when Star Wars first hit theaters in 1977.  Imagined by George Lucas and realized through Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca has continued to be the loyal friend and lovable copilot we always wanted to have.

In the NEWS:

Get scholarly with Gremlins 2.  Willow will likely return in a sequel series on Disney+.  Peter Mayhew, the big-hearted man who gave life to Chewbacca, left this life a couple weeks ago.   In other Star Wars news, Jeff Baucom shared a link to a fan edit of the lightsaber battle in Star Wars: A New Hope and Disney announces release dates for three new Star Wars movies. 

Star Wars Scrapbook

May has always been Star Wars month for fans of the saga.  Pop-culture has saddled the pun-laden “May the 4th” as Star Wars Day, but long before that, May 25th has been considered the more significant day, being the release date of the movie that started it all with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Ben Kenobi.  In this week’s Star Wars Scrapbook, JediShua and shazbazzar look back at major events in May over the past several decades.

Feedback

A brief note from Kali (“13K”) reminds us of the ever-growing number of EarBuds tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads every week.  Thanks for tuning in, EarBuds, and thanks for your input each week.  Let your voice be heard by calling (209) TR-TRDAD (209) 878-7323 and leaving us a voicemail.  Maybe you have a memory of (or with) Peter Mayhew that you’d like to share with other fans of Chewbacca.  Call soon!

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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 merchandise 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.

It’s been an adventurous week with the ‘Dads as shazbazzar took an unexpected trip to Ashland, Kentucky and JediShua battled strange magicks which had cursed his castle in Arvada, Colorado.  So this seemed like a good time to FLASHBACK to seasons 2, 3, and 5 of TechnoRetro Dads in some of the Dungeons & Dragons discussions from the past.

Toys in the Attic

JediShua and shazbazzar first talked about playing Dungeons & Dragons in July 2014.  From their first Basic Sets to their experiences with the “older kids” and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, shazbazzar and JediShua remember friends like Randy McClure, Jason Fisher, Jeff Grimm, Perry Lipker, and more.  Dungeons & Dragons was nothing like the ‘Dads expected (no one was actually killing anyone), it was all about becoming a different person in a moderated community story-telling adventure where players’ characters interact with foes and friends in a fantasy setting where magic is real, dragons exist, and it’s always good to have an interesting (and interested) Dungeon Master.  And try not to shoot your friends’ pets.

SuperFriend Michael Witwer

After last fall’s release of his second book about Dungeons & Dragons, it seemed fitting to revisit the first two times SuperFriend Michael Witwer appeared on TechnoRetro Dads.  Introducing his book, Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, Mike gives some insight into what EarBuds can expect in the book.  Then, soon after its release, he returns for a more-informed discussion with the ‘Dads after they had both read the biographical history of Dungeons & Dragons.

Saturday Mornings

JediShua and shazbazzar reminisce about watching Dungeons & Dragons, an animated series from the ‘80s that featured a group of kids at an amusement park who were magically transported into the world of Dungeons & Dragons when they rode a specific rollercoaster.  As one of the last cartoons of their childhood, the ‘Dads fondly remember the short series as their imaginations ran wild with ideas of how to incorporate some ideas from the television show into their gaming experiences.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the younger versions of our kids did, too!  The shazlings and the Shualings join in for a cereal challenge, long ago, as the ‘Dads sat down for a bowl of Corn Pops in a Cereal Challenge from years ago.  Part of the Cereal Challenge was to eat cereal while watching some classic cartoons from the ‘70s and ‘80s.  While eating Corn Pops, the TechnoRetro families tuned in to the animated Dungeons & Dragons cartoon from the mid-eighties. 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  While you’re waiting for a brand-new episode, why not read (or lazy read) Michael Witwer's Empire of Imagination?  But 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.

The gasps from watching the “Heart of Glass” video in 1979 and Pet Sematary in 1989 were likely equal in volume, but radically different in emotion.  These two blondes (Gage from Pet Sematary and Debbie from Blondie) both affected pop-culture in their time and continue to have fans decades later.

In the NEWS:

We’re back with news this week — Back to the Future news, that is. 

We Love Our Cereal…

Does the overabundance of sweetness in Cap’n Crunch’s Cotton Candy Crunch make it really crunchy or a phenomenon of galactic proportions?  Does a box of Blueberry Cheerios remind you of a certain gum-chewing girl who visited a chocolate factory?  Will Bob Ross really bring us The Joy of Breakfast with painted marshmallow goodness in a new cereal from FYE?  All these questions, along with the new Mikey for Life, are addressed this week!

Vinyl Scratchback

She’s blonde, she’s beautiful, she’s broken-hearted…and maybe she even has a bit of a stalker in her.  She’s Deborah Harry and she found a place at #1 on American Top 40 this week in 1979 with “Heart of Glass” from the Blondie album Parallel Lines.  Blondie (the band, not the girl) entranced listeners with her sultry, other-worldly voice which juxtaposed passion with passivity in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  Ranging from punk reggae to pop disco, Blondie seized our attention with raucous riffs, awkward raps, and a hypnotic sound that separated music aficionados from their cash in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  The band continues playing today with a fan following that fell in love with the lead singer four decades ago.

Let’s All Go to the Movies: Pet Sematary

Speaking of a blondie, the young toddler Gage Creed (he was so cute!) met with tragedy while playing in the front yard with his family in Maine when he wandered into a busy road and met with an accident.  From the mind of Stephen King and the vision of director Mary Lambert came a story that turned hope upside-down in the haunting horror flick that drew audiences to the box office to see Pet Sematary.  Whether you loved it or hated it, it became an instant classic for movie-goers.  Featuring Tasha Yar, Herman Munster, and that vocal know-it-all from Kindergarten Cop, Pet Sematary spawned a sequel in the ‘90s (not good) and even a remake which is in theaters now (in case you can’t get tickets to Endgame).

Science Lesson: The Voyager Golden Record

When Voyager was launched, scientists (hoping for contact with alien life forms) included a golden record with sounds from Earth in the deep space probe.  Now, for the first time on earth, you can get your own copy of this record for $100.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.

Last Monday, Star Wars Celebration Chicago was still in swing.  This Monday, we just can’t let go of a good thing.  And if you have thoughts to share about all the Star Wars news (or anything else you’re looking forward to), give us a call at (209) 878-7323.

Star Wars Scrapbook

Star Wars Celebration Chicago is the newest addition to our scrapbook with pins, buttons, swag, pics, and lots of experiences that have generated lots of speculation…  

• The Rise of Skywalker Teaser Trailer
• Galaxy’s Edge 
• The Mandalorian
• The Clone Wars Saved

TechnoRetro Arcade

Star Wars Celebration Chicago revealed first looks (and even opportunities to play) upcoming additions to the TechnoRetro Arcade with Jedi Fallen Order (think of the Jedi Purge with Inquisitors and a Jedi-in-hiding reminiscent of Canaan Jarrus in John Jackson Miller’s A New Dawn) and Vader Immortal (a tether-less VR experience where the player is a smuggler conscripted into the service of the Dark Lord of the Sith).  

Toys in the Attic

From Hasbro’s Retro figures to new 6" Black Series figures (Hondo Ohnaka as he appears at Galaxy’s Edge) to a playset from Jabba’s Palace, Star Wars Celebration Chicago revealed some exciting toys we would like to add to our collections.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.

It’s Monday, but Thursday’s coming as Star Wars Celebration Chicago is just a few days away.  So pack your bags, double-check your reservations, raid your bank account, and then plug in your ear buds and let the TechnoRetro Dads take the edge of with fun memories of the past and happy hopes for the future packed into 77 minutes of audio.  Yep.  That means we would fit on a cassette tape or compact disc.  But don’t speak too loudly about tape recorders; Shua still feels the impact of what his dad did to his first tape player.

In the NEWS:

• a musical rendition of The Princess Bride
• streaming Farscape
• Mark Hamill’s other current and upcoming projects
• Vinyl Scratchbacks of TechnoRetro Tunes
• Masters of the Universe set to start shooting
• Dungeons & Dragons Art &Arcana nominated for a Hugo award
• Indy-Cast produces a real radio drama 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and thanks to our Roving Spoonster (Shane in GR), we’ve found others who love cereal (and arcade games) just as much!  Discover peanut butter and chocolate Easter bunnies in Reese’s Puffs in stores near you.  Stare with amazement at Toucan Sam’s replacement on some boxes of Froot Loops cereal (she has a tail).  Best of all, if you’re anywhere near Wichita Falls, Texas, you’re going to want to check out Maniac’s Mansion, a truly TechnoRetro cereal cafe/video arcade that is one man’s realization of a childhood dream.  So cool!

Lazy Book Club: Read-Along Books

After the feedback from last week’s “read-along book” special, shazbazzar and JediShua take time to recall the magic of read-along books and their history.  Sometimes, they were on record.  Sometimes, they were on tape.  They’ve even made it to compact disc!  The magic is the same every time, though.  Linking technology to the written word on a page has been a winner for generations.

Even some EarBuds get in on the conversation online with some of their memories as well as future endeavors in acquiring some classic read-along books.  

Star Wars Scrapbook

Beginning in April 1976, the ‘Dads travel through the years for a history lesson in notable moments of Star Wars history.  

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.

For nearly forty-two years, pop-culture has been populated with images, sounds, and hundreds of plastic characters.  Yet, there always seem to be new opportunities to explore the original Star Wars among fans of the franchise.  The seventh season of TechnoRetro Dads continues this tradition of exploration as shazbazzar and JediShua (and the talented voice of narrator Scott Ryfun) find themselves in this special version of the Star Wars Read-Along….

Star Wars Stuff to Enjoy…

• Vinyl Scratchback of TechnoRetro Tunes
• Memorable Toys in the Attic
• Space Games in the TechnoRetro Arcade

No, the words to the book aren’t found here.

But, yes, we know that it’s April 1st.  After all, we released our first for-the-public episode on 1 April 2013, the last time Monday marked April Fool’s Day.  And while we didn’t really prank you, we hope you’ll find fun in our foolishness in this bonus-length episode of TechnoRetro Dads.  After all, if it hadn’t been for Star Wars, we might never have started this crazy show to start with.  It certainly wouldn’t normally be 77 minutes long!  So sit back and let yourself go as Scott Ryfun narrates the TechnoRetro Dads’ Star Wars Read-Along (when shazbazzar and JediShua went back in time far enough to actually see that galaxy far, far away).

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.

In the season finale of TechnoRetro Dads (season finale, not series finale), shazbazzar and JediShua look back at various iterations of Batman from the days of Bob Kane and Bill Finger to Neal Adams and Frank Miller, Batman has changed over the past eight decades in comics.  In film, from the ‘40s serials to the camp-ridded ’66 movie to the ’89 Tim Burton reimagining to the darkest depths of his persona in Nolen’s trilogy, Batman has gone from black and white, to light, to darkness along with cultural shifts.  Yet the character continues to connect with readers and viewers throughout the generations.

In the NEWS

• RUMOR has it that a new Star Wars trilogy set in the days of the Old Republic will begin shooting this fall.
• Jim Henson’s Labyrinth has become a role-playing game.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and cereal candles, too!  Jovial Jay Shepard lets us know about a scented candle that looks and smells like a half-eaten bowl of Froot Loops cereal.  Shane, the Roving Spoonster, reports another Lucky Charms giveaway for free boxes of totally marshmallows.  Good luck!

PLUS: we remember some amazing prizes found in boxes of cereal from our childhood even into adulthood.  From a Batman bank to diving frogmen to lightsaber spoons to records to flying discs and rings, the ‘Dads and EarBuds recall some memorable toys that made opening a box of cereal on Saturday mornings even better.

Batman

JediShua and shazbazzar revisit the Batman of their youth on TV, in comics, and on the big screen while diving into some of the history of the Dark Knight and the Dynamic Duo.  Even SuperFriend Adam O’Brien chimes in with some memories of Batman.  Travel through the inception of the character on the pages of Detective Comics to the oft-forgotten movie serials of the 1940s, the campy zaniness of the Batman TV show in the ‘60s, the animated team-up with the Super Friends, as well as the various actors who played Bruce Wayne/Batman since 1989: Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck.  And with a new Batman movie slated to release in 2020, we’re sure to get a new impression on this Dark Knight fairly soon.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.

If the living creatures around you seem a bit twitterpated, it's because the seasonal changes are finally happening this week as the sun crosses the equator to bring more daylight to the northern hemisphere and more dark to the southern hemisphere.  But wherever you may be, TechnoRetro Dads will brighten your day with memories of the past and hopes for the future, even if it means telling tall tales the likes of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

In the NEWS

• New Dungeons & Dragons animated series in the making by the good folks at Critical Role.
• Disney may give subscribers a digital doorway into the “Vault” when the Disney Plus streaming service goes live.
• Terry Gilliam (director of Time Bandits, Brazil, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) slated to work with Taika Waititi in the upcoming Time Bandits series.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

When, in an Age of Reason, it seems reasonable to order capital punishment for remarkable acts of heroism and bravery (because, after all, we wouldn’t want “ordinary people” to become demoralized because their lives are absent such feats), it takes outlandish tales of fiction (it must be fictional, after all, for all is governed by the age’s intellectual rationalism that must not tolerate anything that cannot be explained by “science, progress, laws of hydraulics, laws of social dynamics, laws of this, that, and the other”) to set straight the path to victory over what simply must be true because the superior minds of elitists insist that they know more than what is clearly evident to a child.  Such a victory is relished in Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen from 1988.  JediShua convinces shazbazzar to watch this amazing adventure for the sake of EarBuds around the world.  Aren’t you glad he did?

Star Wars Scrapbook

In anticipation for the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, shazbazzar and JediShua cover what was happening in our galaxy the third week of March from 1977 to 2008 relative to Star Wars.

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Be sure to check out episodes you may have missed 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.