Time-travel with Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and Scottie to bring the future to San Francisco in 1986.  SuperFriend Jovial Jay Shepard joins shazbazzar and JediShua for some whale songs as they remember (or misremember) the conclusion of the Genesis/Khan trilogy in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

In the NEWS

• Find out how to get a “fast pass” to the Rancho Obi-Wan exhibit at Star Wars Celebration Chicago.
• An original, sealed-in-package Super Mario Bros. cartridge sells for a record high price that will send you down the pipes in unbelief!

We Love Our Cereal

• Exclusive Caticorn Berry cereal hits shelves at Sam’s Club.
• Maple Bacon Donut comes to Walmart.
• Chocolate and Berries in new boxes of Cap’n Crunch.
• The World’s Largest Breakfast Table is coming this summer.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

In one of the most down-to-earth Star Trek features that showed the crew of the Enterprise in perhaps the strangest surroundings, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home pits the Federation of the future against the crazy culture of the ‘80s as Kirk and Spock are unleashed on the streets of San Francisco in 1986.  Jovial Jay Shepard joins the ‘Dads for a fun trip to a past “today” as Spock strives to get into the groove of punk rock and capitalism that seems completely alien to the crew of the recently destroyed Enterprise.  Though our memories are a bit sketchy, the fun flavor of the fourth feature film shines through the banter between the three Gen-Xers.

Toys in the Attic: Toy Fair 2019

JediShua and shazbazzar take a peek at pics and slideshows from the recent Toy Fair in New York.  Loads of retrotastic four-inch fun for fans of ‘70s and ‘80s action figures.  Someone needs to win a lottery.

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.

On this Presidents’ Day (Presidents Day, President’s Day), a day designed to give federal employees a three-day weekend (yes, that’s the real purpose of the holiday), the ‘Dads invite all EarBuds to pull their VHS copies of ThunderCats off the shelf, get their LJN action figures out of that dusty old attic, and get into the spirit of Thundera here on Second Earth for a time-traveling trip back to 1985-1989 with the unforgettable ThunderCats!

In the NEWS

• Howard the Duck Hulu series greenlit
• Upcoming Muppets series is an ‘80s sequel
• Sesame Street may celebrate 50th anniversary with a movie

Saturday Mornings: ThunderCats

From 1985 to 1989, kids were treated to a sci-fi/fantasy cartoon about cat people fleeing their destroyed home planet of Thundera to a futuristic Earth as they battled evil mutants who wanted to get their slimy (or furry) hands on the Sword of Omens.  Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Wilykat, Wilykit, and Snarf were pitted against the evil mutants S-S-Slithe, Jackalman, Monkian, Vultureman, and their terrifying undead leader Mumm-Ra.  The combination of a kicking theme song, an amazing style that blended Rankin-Bass designs with Japanese animation, cool characters, fantastic weapons and vehicles, and a story that captured the imaginations of kids, teens, and maybe even some parents for fun afternoon television viewing.

Toys in the Attic: ThunderCats

LJN toys produced loads of figures, vehicles, and even a couple playsets alongside the ThunderCats animated series.  More in scale with He-Man figures than Star Wars and G.I. Joe, ThunderCats followed the pattern of Mattel, Hasbro, and Kenner to fill toy aisles with plastic versions of the heroes and villains kids were watching on TV sets in their homes.  Some of these toys can even fetch a hefty price with collectors.  Be sure to watch garage sales and flea markets for bargains on these classic toys.

Star Wars Scrapbook

As Celebration Chicago draws ever nearer, and the future of Star Wars is yet to be seen (no trailer or title as of yet), shazbazzar and JediShua dust off Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle in the Star Wars Scrapbook to look into the history of Star Wars and the people and events surrounding the 42 year-old franchise.

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.

George Lucas pushed to capitalize on cuteness after Return of the Jedi left theaters with two made-for-television Ewok features and two seasons of animated Endorians in Nelvana’s Ewoks. Both shazbazzar and JediShua love every incarnation of the little furry guys and share their appreciation for the tribe from Bright Tree Village before taking another trip through time in the dark comedy/love story/science fiction movie, Time After Time.

In the NEWS

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge may open with little pomp and circumstance — perhaps with even a single tweet.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and so will you.  It seems that these days, time after time we discover new cereals in supermarkets across the nation.  Today, JediShua quickly reviews several new cereals as EarBuds and the Roving Spoonster chime in on what they are finding in store aisles, home pantries, and cereal bowls everywhere.

Saturday Mornings: Ewoks

From fall 1985 to spring 1987, shazbazzar and JediShua enjoyed Ewoks on Saturday mornings — with and without Droids.  Wicket W. Warwick is joined by Princess Kneesaa and all their friends time after time on Saturdays in this short-lived cartoon by Nelvana.  

Time After Time

Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen star in this week’s time-traveling tale about inventor H.G. Wells’ pursuit of villainous Jack the Ripper through time in the machine he created.  1979’s Time After Time is an unforgettable story that many remember seeing on cable or renting at the video store.  Whether this movie is a sci-fi flick, a love story, or a dark comedy is your guess.  One thing is certain, Time After Time is clearly a product of the disco era.

TechnoRetro Arcade

Answering the popularity of Nintendo’s NES, Sega pushed its Sega Genesis to retail outlets in 1989, hoping to gain some of the home console business with its 16-bit system. Children of the ‘80s will remember such classics as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, and Toejam & Earl.

(Don’t forget Aunt Marge!)

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.

Whether it’s the Rams vs the Patriots or the Cowboys vs the Steelers, Extreme asks the pertinent question: “Do You Want to Play?”  The results are finally in, and the final score was 35 -31 — Pittsburgh wins Super Bowl XIII.  We know (and you know) who won Super Bowl LIII, so we thought you should know who won forty years ago.  After last night’s battle between Bill & Ted (Belichick and Rath, respectively), it’s time to sit back and relax for fun with shazbazzar and JediShua.

In the NEWS

• The Dude invades Super Bowl LIII
• The Lost Boys will be coming to the CW
• Starship Troopers also may become a TV series
• Bill & Ted Face the Music soon — maybe Christmas

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

In just a couple weeks, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure turns thirty, and with a threequel in the works, it’s a great time to return to San Dimas in 1988 for some most excellent riffs by Wyld Stallyns.  JediShua and shazbazzar dig into their teenage years and revisit this just-for-fun-but-better-than-many-Oscar-nominees movie from 1989.  Featuring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, RAM (from TRON), the French foreign exchange student (from Better Off Dead), and Jane Wiedlin (from the Go-Go’s), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure follows two rock star wannabes who must get an A+ on their history final in order to pass the class, avoid Alaskan military school, and keep the band from breaking up (before it ever happens).  Bill & Ted have less than a day to travel through history (thanks to a time machine from seven hundred years in the future that resembles a phone booth) and put together a bodacious history presentation.  Spoiler Alert:  They succeed and come back for a sequel (and the aforementioned threequel).

TechnoRetro Arcade

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure made it to home consoles for gamers who couldn’t get enough Bill & Ted in the movie.  As an adventure game somewhat resembling the key parts of the movie, players had to talk to NPCs (kind of like in Zelda) to accumulate what they need to ace their history presentation.

Feedback

We finally get to some feedback from our EarBuds covering a variety of topics from video games to G.I. Joe 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 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.