Spring officially arrives today and Spring Break is on the horizon.  Before hurrying out to the beach, be sure to pack your ear buds for a trip back in time to the ‘70s and ‘80s with shazbazzar and JediShua as they remember a couple games we all enjoyed playing as kids (and can still play today, if we’re lucky).  Get ready for fun and funniness this week on TechnoRetro Dads! 

In the NEWS…  

Amazing Stories, the Steven Spielberg anthology series from the mid-eighties may soon return.  With imaginative tales of fiction, fantasy, and fright, this weekly show was a staple for GenXers who were facing the certainty of no new Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future.  Brian Fuller takes the reigns (with Spielberg’s approval) to reinvigorate television with distinctive episodes that will surely resound with today’s audiences.  The Ultimate Visual History of Back to the Future is rereleased as a “Collector’s Edition” with a 3D sculpted movie poster of the original Drew Struzan art and several bonus features like three 32-page books (one for each movie).  Edward James Olmos reprises his role as Eduardo Gaff in Blade Runner 2049.

We Love Our Cereal…  

The Keebler Elves are sneaking tiny cookies into people’s cereals — and we appreciate it!  PLUS: DC Superheroes cover boxes of Big G cereals and the mascots get in on the action.  Collect them all and read the comic books in every box.

Toys in the Attic  

Games have always been integral to toy boxes, and card games are part of the fun for friends and family.  Since the ‘70s, Uno has been a staple for kids and adults alike, allowing anyone who can match colors and numbers to have a chance at winning a game against virtually anyone else.  The luck of the draw is the main thing, as well as well-timed usage of “special” cards like Reverse, Draw Two, Skip, and Wild.  Race to be the first to play every card in your hand, but make sure you say “Uno!” when you’re down to a single card or you may find yourself holding more cards than you bargained for!

TechnoRetro Arcade  

From knights on horseback in medieval times to clones against ‘droids on speeder bikes, the strength of lances against armor at high speed has been entertaining for hundreds of years (and painful for the contestants).  In 1982, Williams Electronics continued the success they had in the video game industry with Defender by releasing Joust, a reimagined combat game pitting mounted knights against each other with lances seeking to unseat their opponents.  This time, however, the knights ride on flying steeds: either a buzzard, an ostrich, or a stork.  Combining running on flat surfaces at different elevations with flying through the air, Players 1 and 2 challenge computer players for survival amidst additional dangers from lava and pterodactyls.  “But ostriches can’t fly!” some protest.  Evidently the minds behind this iconic game figured flying ostriches was more believable than running eagles.  Go figure.

History Lesson  

This week is filled with fictional history from the frontier of 100 years ago to the comic book movies of this decade as the ‘Dads open the TechnoRetro history books with snippets from Legends of the Fall, Forrest Gump, Billy Madison, Watchmen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and more!

Feedback  

EarBuds chime in with updates on the seven “earth-sized” planets mentioned a couple weeks ago and memories of Kevin Flynn in King Kong.  With a mention of Scholastic Book orders back in our school days, the ‘Dads affectionately recall their own days in elementary school with the pulp order forms made their way into the hands of children, opening their imaginations to the future. 

Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more news about franchises and fandom from the ‘70s and ‘80s that continues to this day as well as reliving those amazing times that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times.  Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking 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.

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As the new week begins with new time for those who observe the change in time that coincides with the change in seasons, TechnoRetro Dads have discovered a way to solve the problem of losing an hour of sleep on the day time “Springs Forward”: add an eighth day to the week for rest!  But that’s not the only EIGHT in this week’s episode.  JediShua and shazbazzar talk about Eight Is Enough with Dick Van Patten and Adam Rich, Scott Ryfun provides informational feedback with an 8-Track electronic-M and more shapes and sounds of the number eight provide loads of fun this Monday morning before Pi Day and during the week of St. Patrick’s Day.  (This episode is brought to you by the number eight and the color green). 

In the NEWS…

Turner Broadcasting and Warner Brothers team up to present a streaming version of Boomerang with thousands of your favorite cartoons from decades of Saturday mornings and syndicated shows from Warner Bros., MGM, and Hanna-Barbera!  The cost is five dollars per month or forty dollars annually (that’s five time eight for the mathematically challenged).  The starship Enterprise D gets the 3D treatment in virtual reality through the Enterprise 3D Project.

We Love Our Cereal…

…who doesn’t?  Ben & Jerry’s shares a bowl with those lucky enough to have a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop near them (sorry, shaz — no ice cream for you) featuring breakfast morning favorites like Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Pebbles, and Fruity Pebbles.  Cereal continues to gain ground in the marketplace as the next step in cerealtastic recipes moves forward to include frozen versions of Saturday morning fare.

Aftershocks of 1977

On March 15th of this banner year, Dick Van Patten, Adam Rich, and Luke Skywalker’s cousin Mark Hamill star in the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough, a “bigger than Brady Bunch” family dramedy for the late ‘70s and early ‘80s that ushered in the new era of culture and politics that pushed conservative family shows into the past and opened the floodgates of the family as reimagined for a more “enlightened” society.  Proving once again that 1977 impacted western culture in ways that are still felt forty years later, the family as promoted in this series has become the norm in sitcoms over the past four decades (minus a few kids, of course).  

Feedback

Radio talk show host and podcaster Scott Ryfun responds to shazbazzar’s and JediShua’s lack of fluency in the ways of 8-Track tapes.  From his 1977 powder blue LTD wagon, Ryfun schools the ‘Dads in the mixed-up albums of a thankfully bygone era in portable audio, complete with the iconic “kerchunk” of track changes.  KISS, Aerosmith, and Battlestar Galactica fuel the Feedback fodder in this lengthy discussion of 8-Track tapes with memories that are both funny and fond. 

Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more news about franchises and fandom from the ‘70s and ‘80s that continues to this day as well as reliving those amazing times that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times.  Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking 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, Stitcher, or Google Play.

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Greetings, Programs!  

TRON is in the news again (sort of), and is heavily featured in this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads (well, FLYNN is, anyway) as shazbazzar and JediShua take another look at King Kong from 1976, monkey around with ‘Dad jokes, and finally get to some Feedback from our EarBuds.  Get ready for 77 seconds minutes of gigantic gorilla goodness on the first Monday of March! 

In the NEWS…

Dungeons & Dragons might find its next incarnation in the form of buildable modules built of smaller modules.  Tune in to find out more.  Joseph Kosinski talks about TRON Ascension, seven earth-sized planets less than a Kessel Run away, and memories of Bill Paxton.

Let’s All Go to the Movies…

…and watch Kong: Skull Island.  But before we go, we take a peek at earlier versions and revisit the Dino De Laurentiis 1976 King Kong with Jessica Lange, Charles Grodin, and Kevin Flynn with beautiful hair.  The classic creation from 1933 is reimagined during the energy crisis of the ‘70s with a naïve wannabe actress with a penchant for skimpy clothes, a troped-up bad guy from a greedy petroleum corporation, the original USER Kevin Flynn, and Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  With Kong: Skull Island premiering later this week, it only seems reasonable to remind ourselves of “the most exciting original motion picture event of all time.”

History Lesson

After the W Files and before the Y Files were the X Files (at least that’s what we want to believe).  Adam Sandler finishes fifth grade (before JediShua started teaching fifth grade).  Weyland Industries leaves out the eighth vertical so the ‘Dads can claim it.  Bright Eyes gets her “treatment”.  Scarlett Johansson unintentionally embodies the singularity.  The One is born.  Yes, by “One” we mean “Neo”, otherwise known as Mr. Anderson.  Which reminds us of this week’s brief Aftershock of 1977: Philip K. Dick predicted The Matrix at the Metz Sci-Fi Convention in France.

Feedback

Rory O’Toole finds an old bag from Video Exchange and reveals a license plate Easter egg in American Graffiti. Starships, Sabers, and Scoundrels Dennis Keithly and Darth Taxus spice up the 8-Track discussion with a Pumpkin Marshmallow “Spirit in the Sky”, the Spider-Pan can’t figure out “What a Fool Believes”, D$ discovers The Legal Sword of Shunnarah, and Jedi Arjii finds a way to make Rocky even better — more Star Wars! 

TechnoRetro Dads go bananas for big primates this week, and want more electronic-Ms and voice mails from our EarBuds. 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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Whether you love the Academy Awards or the Oscars make you grouchy, the morning after Hollywood’s most celebrated celebration of La La Land will most assuredly bring joy to your Monday morning and get your work week off to a better than Rocky start.  So get off the Fences and find those long lost toys and Hidden Figures from your Star Wars collection and join shazbazzar and JediShua as the Moonlight gives way to daybreak with the Arrival of the latest episode of TechnoRetro Dads.  So stop Lion there in bed and Hacksaw the dream chains before you miss out on the bright day ahead! 

In the NEWS…

Weird Al fills an accordion with loads of vinyl including previously unreleased tracks alongside a complete collection of his works.  Rogue One comes to your home in just over a month on DVD and Blu-ray.  The Last Jedi title discussion reaches a conclusion with French and Spanish titles’ explanation of this questionable phrase in English.

Aftershocks of 1977

Find out how the 49th Academy Awards launched the career of an iconic actor when the Best Picture of 1976 featured a nearly penniless man, his dog, and a heart that enabled him to go the distance.  Rocky continues to hit viewers where it counts four decades after its initial release.  JediShua and shazbazzar relate their thoughts about this classic film that put Sylvester Stallone on the Hollywood best list.  

Toys in the Attic

With Toy Fair in the rear-view mirror, the ‘Dads react to some of the toys that scored with them.  From retrotastic space helmets to booming balloon sabers, and miniaturized arcade cabinets to upgraded talking teddy bears, these toys will be a hit with the X Generation when they go shopping for their kids (or grandkids) this year.

TechnoRetro Speculations

With the announcement of Rogue One on Blu-ray comes speculations and hopes for what could be included in the various packages and exclusives next month.  Although shazbazzar and JediShua don’t have any voice in what should be included, they share some of their hopes about the unlikely possibilities as the latest addition to the Star Wars movies gets its first release (of course there will be many, many more releases over the next four decades).

History Lesson

Sam Beckett battles the “Curse of the Ptah Hotep” as an archaeologist sixty years ago.  John Connor celebrates his thirty-second birthday just before the most well-known Weasley turns thirty-six.  A dumb kid realizes that we’re not alone in the universe on a back road while Adam Sandler gets smarter.  This week’s fictional history is finally truly historical. 

TechnoRetro Dads is the perfect cure for your morning after blues after the Oscar after parties.  We would love to hear from our EarBuds via Twitter @TechnoRetroDads or on Facebook, 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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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!

Share and enjoy! 

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!

Share and enjoy!