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

In the NEWS

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

We Love Our Cereal…

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

Saturday Mornings

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

The Beastmaster 

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

TechnoRetro Arcade

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

Feedback

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

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

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

In the NEWS

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

We Love Our Cereal…

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

Ready Player One 

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

The Last Starfighter 

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

TechnoRetro Arcade

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

Feedback

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

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

Share and enjoy.

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

We Love Our Cereal…

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

Feedback 

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

Coming Soon to Theaters

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

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

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

Share and enjoy.