Mon, 14 September 2020
Sports are back! We commemorate the return by looking back at some fantastic sport video games. Plus, we lay out our ideal Saturday Morning Cartoon lineup would be.
We. Could. Go. All. The. Way! ….back to the beginning of video games to look at the sports that kicked all of them off, and how they evolved. Plus, we try to figure out what our ideal Saturday morning cartoon lineup might be.
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Cereal - News The Roving Spoonster has been working overtime this week. General Mills and Champion team up for some cerealicious clothing. Are you trying to eat healthy? There are some sugar free options out there. Buffalo, New York gets their very own cereal restaurant. And Little Debbie decides to get into the cereal game with a version of their oatmeal cream pies.
TechnoRetro Arcade - Sport Games The very first video game was inspired by the real sport of tennis. From their, the games evolved into more and more realistic games. Which is good, because they’ve been the only sports we’ve really had access to lately. Pong, soccer, boxing, baseball, football, hockey, racing...the list goes on. Jay and Shua share some of their favorites from their childhood while looking at some of the history as well.
Magazine Rack - Starlog September 1980 This month’s Starlog had a cover story about a legendary, cinematic special edition. Nope. Even before Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind returned to theaters with never before scenes, but not digitally-added Jabba the Hutt. There were also some great features about Space 1999, Clash of the Titans, and Galaxina. Empire Strikes Back had been out for several months when this issue came out. What was the reaction after it had successfully woven it’s way into the new decade? It may not be what you think.
Saturday Mornings If you had your own TV station and access to all the cartoons, what would you schedule for your Saturday Mornings? Jay and Shua try to come up with a good 5 hour lineup and find it more difficult than expected. But there’s just so many to choose from! What would be included in your lineup? |
Mon, 7 September 2020
No matter what school looks like this year, we can always make memories that last a lifetime. The TechnoRetro Dads take a look back at their edu-macation and maybe give you a few ideas for using all the retro memories to help today’s kids.
It’s time to head back to some form of learning! But let’s pause and take a look back at what it was like back in the day.
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Cereal - News A newly graduated student is using cereal to help with some unfortunate circumstances. And was the classic cereal mascot Quisp inspired by a comic book character. Plus, where can you find a bag of just Lucky Charms marshmallows?
TechnoRetro Arcade - The Tech of our Schools When did you go to school? The 80’s? The 90’s? No matter what decade you found yourself learning the basics, it is always a big deal when your school gets some new technology. Even having that freshly mimeographed worksheet passed out to you was a sign of modern times. We take a look at some of our early tech exposure such as the Apple ][ computer, or the TRS-80. And who could forget those wonderful filmstrip projectors?
Magazine Rack - Starlog September 1980 This month’s Starlog had a cover story about a legendary, cinematic special edition. Nope. Even before Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind returned to theaters with never before scenes, but not digitally-added Jabba the Hutt. There were also some great features about Space 1999, Clash of the Titans, and Galaxina. Empire Strikes Back had been out for several months when this issue came out. What was the reaction after it had successfully woven it’s way into the new decade? It may not be what you think.
TechnoRetro School Supplies Do you remember getting the chance to go to the store and pick out your new supplies for the upcoming school year? Even today it’s a memorable experience, but we take a look back at some of the more iconic items such as cardboard pencil boxes, Pee Chees, and Trapper Keepers. And then we get ready for lunch by grabbing our legendary tin lunch boxes with a wide variety of pop culture characters. Can we help make this school year memorable in a positive way for today’s generation? Let’s hope so |
Mon, 24 August 2020
Who is Darkman? He's everywhere and nowhere, but mostly he's Liam Neeson. 30 years ago we witnessed the birth of a new kind of hero and launched Neeson's career. The TechnoRetro Dads look back at Sam Raimi's classic. Darkman stepped into the light 30 years ago and helped make Liam Neeson a star. We review the finer aspects of the 1990 film. In the NEWS
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Darkman
|
Mon, 17 August 2020
Tech is everywhere! But in the 80’s we looked at it with a little wonder, a little excitement, and a lot of neon. We look at the technology our heroes used to save the day and the toys that helped us grow.
Technology in our favorite TV shows and the tech toys that kept us entertained and edumacated.
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Cereal - Junior Spoonster Jay brings us news of a new type of breakfast; Mac and Cheese...wait, that can’t be right. Mac and Cheese?!?!?! Would you indulge in this traditional kiddie meal as a morning feast? Let us know. And you’ve gotta check out the Teachable Machine Lucky Charms Marshmallow extractor. It’s sure to change your late night snacking habits.
Saturday Mornings - Retro TV with Tech-Centered Stories We loved our TV heroes! In the 80’s those heroes often got to use cool new tech to save the day. Automan was a hero straight out of TRON. He is a complex computer construct that partners up with a police computer expert. And he’s got a sweet glowy car! Max Headroom was a one of a kind piece of technology that helped shape the 80’s without ever leaving a TV screen (or having a body). The Street Hawk was a super fast, super cool motorcycle. And Airwolf saved the day from the sky while Stringfellow Hawke piloted the powerful helicopter. Finally, Michael Knight was a faithful partner to KITT, the computer powered super car whose legacy lives on to this day. How cool were they? And how much did they influence the future?
Toys in the Attic - Tech Toys Was there anything more exciting for a kid to get a toy that needed batteries? Electronic toys became more accessible to kids in the 80’s. They kept us entertained and helped us learn. The Little Professor calculator was where Shua learned his numbers and the Speak and Spell built his words. Most kids enjoyed their Mattel Electronic sports games, even though it was really just a few little red LED lights. But blinking lights could be fun, and be the basis of games like Merlin and Simon. The Microvision was the granddaddy of the handheld games we love today. And if you like games of fantasy, Dark Tower and Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game sparked our imagination. |
Mon, 10 August 2020
The truth is out there. But since we’re hanging out at home, we’ll have it delivered straight to you! Jay and Shua take a look at some classic movies and TV shows that focused on some classic conspiracies. And we’ll take a second look at what our retro board games were really trying to do to us.
Conspiracy movies and TV with some very suspicious board games.
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Cereal - Roving Spoonster Shane shares some tasty stories this week. Tim Hortons has a deliciously sweet looking Froot Loops donut that just bowls us over (or is it a sugar coma?) Post’s Dunkin Donuts coffee cereal is sure to wake you up. And we look at some discontinued cereal and contemplate which ones should return.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Conspiracy Movies Movie goers have always been fascinated with stories with plenty of intrigue. And no genre has more than conspiracy movies. We look back at some memorable conspiracy stories from the 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s. Do you remember The Parallax View with Warren Beatty? How about some Robert Redford dramas like Three days of the Condor or All the President’s Men? Space was all the rage with the Mars launch hoax of Capricorn One or the Area 51 inspired Hangar 18. Roy Scheider traded boats for helicopters in 1983’s Blue Thunder. And we would never forget Buckaroo Banzai’s contribution to saving the world from aliens. He probably inspired Roddy Piper in John Carpenter’s They Live. And of course, the granddaddy of all the conspiracies would have to be Oliver Stone’s classic cover-up story inspired by true life events in JFK. Which ones do you like? And what did we leave off the list?
TV - More truth to be uncovered Conspiracies weren’t limited to the cinema. TV had it’s share of intrigue. V: The Miniseries had us questioning if we were being invaded by aliens or fascists. Or maybe fascist aliens. But we’ll never stop questioning all the mysteries of the world in Leonard Nimoy’s In Search Of, or Jack Palance’s Ripley’s Believe it or Not. And as we prepared to head into the 21st Century, Agents Mulder and Scully helped us to track down the real story behind mysterious aliens and why you shouldn’t smoke so much.
Toys in the Attic - Board Games or Conspiracies We grew up with so many great board games. But were they given to us to entertain ourselves or control our minds? Take the quiz and listen to the evidence. Can you identify the board game by the conspiracy theorist description? |
Mon, 3 August 2020
You don’t have to be a Real Genius to know that Weird Science can get out of control. Science was all over the place in August of 1985. If you want the fiction of it, just look in Starlog Magazine. We take a look at the classic Sci-Fi publication in a new segment called Magazine Rack.
Starlog Magazine, plus the sciencey movies Weird Science and Real Genius
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Cereal - Tiger Paws Jay tries the new Kellogg’s snack and lets us know if it’s worth it. Well, if you like sweetness, it may be for you!
Magazine Rack - Starlog August 1980 In a new segment on TechnoRetro Dads, we take a look back at the classic sci-fi magazine Starlog. This month’s cover story is an interview with Harrison Ford, the star of the newly released Empire Strikes Back. There are also some great articles about how the 1980’s sci-fi genre entered the 80’s. Battlestar Galactica left TV, Buck Rogers was grasping for one last chance, and a little science fiction movie from Ridley Scott, starring Harrison Ford was on the horizon.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Weird Science/Real Genius August 1985 was a rich time for science in the movies. Well, science may be a little generous when describing these films, but they certainly felt sciency. John Hughes’s Weird Science starred Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly Lebrock, and Ilan Mitchell-Smith. It tells the story of Gary and Wyatt trying to fit in with their High School peers by creating the beautiful, smart, and magical Lisa from thin air. Aahhh, remember when you did that in high school? Then, watch Val Kilmer at his finest in the classic smart people against the government story Real Genius. Chris Knight helps his roommate Mitch to build a super powerful laser, but must stop it when they realize how it’s going to be used. Both movies featured quotable lines and lots of laughs. And if you want a little science cherry on top, check out the third movie that month, My Science Project.
Vinyl Scratchback - Weird Science/Real Genius Soundtrack There may have only been a few memorable songs from these movies, but the 80’s vibe was very important to the flow of both. We break down which ones were important, such as Oingo Boingo’s hit Weird Science, and the Tears for Fears favorite Everybody Wants to Rule the World. |
Mon, 27 July 2020
Ever wonder where to go during an earthquake? How about what to do in case of fire? Would you duck and cover at the first sign of a meteor? These disaster and much more made up a good portion of movies in the 70’s and 80’s. Everyone wanted to know how their favorite stars were going to survive and become heroes. It even transferred to the arcade in great games like Missile Command. Get ready to shake and bake as we relive massive destruction!
Retro disaster movies and Missile Command
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Arcade - Missile Command In 1980, Atari was preparing us for any kind of attack from the sky we may have to face. Missile Command was a new kind of video game for the arcade, with a trackball and multiple firing buttons. And despite the fact that there’s no way to win, the frenetic pace mad it a fun game to play.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Disaster Movies In the 70’s a wave of disaster movies swept through theaters like a hurricane! Audiences were shaken when they watched their favorite stars escape from every danger the world could drop on them. People like Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Sean Connery, and Lorne Greene burned their performances into our memories forever. Stay home, away from germs, and listen to our look back at the most entertaining destruction you’re gonna get this side of the fault line! |
Mon, 20 July 2020
I’m alright. Nobody worry about me. Because we love watching movies. This week we take a look back at the 1980 classic comedy Caddyshack. For 40 years fans have been inspired by the wacky humor and quotable lines. Plus, it had a cool soundtrack. We also head to the arcade to play a legendary digital golf classic, Golden Tee.
Caddyshack, it’s peppy soundtrack, and the arcade Golden Tee.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal The Roving Spoonster digs deep once again for the best in cereal news. After far too many years, we will finally be getting a female cereal mascot. Even if she is undead. Will South Koreans enjoy the much anticipated Green Onion Chex cereal? And put the matches away, because you won’t need a campfire to enjoy the new S’Mores cereal.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Caddyshack 40 years ago the guys that brought us National Lampoon set their sights on the golf course. Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and a variety of hilarious actors prove once again that bullies will get their come-uppance in any environment. Grab that 9-iron and be the ball.
Vinyl Scratchback - Caddyshack soundtrack Kenny Loggins beat out Pink Floyd when got the opportunity to write songs for the movie. And he is still singing about how he’s “Alright” today. Plus, an iconic Journey song made it’s way into the movie. More specifically into Al Czervik’s golf bag.
TechnoRetro Arcade - Golden Tee Some arcade games have medieval action. Some have enemies from space. Some have plumbers chasing turtles. But if you’re ready for something a little slower-paced, then we have a golf game for you. In 1989 Incredible Technologies gave us the strategic golf simulator “Golden Tee”. The series continued for years and was popular with those that would rather stay inside and swing the clubs. |
Mon, 13 July 2020
July is JediShua’s top month because he gets all the attention for his birthday! To celebrate the TechnoRetro Dads find some fun facts about the 35 year old favorite, Back to the Future. What makes the best cereal cake? We want you to tell us. We’ll wait, but in the meantime let’s play a little Dig Dug and remember some cool birthday gifts from the past.
Back to the Future fun, cereal cake, Dig Dug, and birthday toys from days gone by.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal JediShua tried to make an ice cream cone out of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with mixed results. For Shua’s birthday he wants a cereal cake. But which one? There are 3 really good ones to choose from. Why not make one and let us know which one would be best? Here’s some links with recipes. Fruity Pebbles Cake https://www.popsugar.com/food/Cereal-Cake-Recipe-44091253 Froot Loops Rainbow Cake https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Rainbow-Cereal-Cake-1542919 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake https://livforcake.com/cinnamon-toast-crunch-cake/
TechnoRetro Arcade - Dig Dug Go underground in the 1982 classic arcade game Dig Dug. It’s fun to sadistically pump up Figars and Tookas as you create crazy mazes in the dirt. Both Jay and Shua liked the gameplay, the music, and the fact they could actually play the game well. Let’s revisit Dig Dug.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Back to the Future 35 years ago we experienced a movie that’s changed our lives. It’s no secret how much we love Back to the Future, and we thought we knew everything there was to know about the classic film. But we found some facts that were not only obscure, but totally interesting too. And we get to enjoy a song from Biff too!
Toys in the Attic - Birthday gifts from our past Do you still have any of the toys you got for your birthday when you were a kid? Even if you don’t you still have the memories. Jay enjoyed his Star Wars Landspeeder and the Death Star that seemed to reproduce. Shua had the immortal Suckerman and a sweet Walkman. What gifts do you remember? |
Mon, 6 July 2020
Looks like you picked the wrong week to stop eating cereal. 40 years ago one of the funniest movies of all time was unleashed. Airplane! flew over Macho Grande and into our funny bones. We stay a mile high as we look back at memorable airplane video games and Evel Knievel teaches us new ways to land.
Look! Up in the sky! Airplanes, video games, and Evel Knievel!
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal We love new ways to use cereal, and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheesecake recipe may be one of the sweetest ways to do it. General Mills releases several new cereals along with Kellogg’s and their superfood for kids. And the Roving Spoonster has us excited about Froot Loops Tropical.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Airplane! In 1980, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, and David Zucker spoofed the forgettable movie Zero Hour! to create the comedy classic Airplane! It starred Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty, plus a collection of classically serious actors like Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, and of course Leslie Nielsen. We look back at the quotes, the jokes, and all the fun that inspired a whole new genre of comedy.
TechnoRetro Arcade - Airplane games How many airplane video games do you remember? We start in the early days of gaming all the way back in 1970 with the first flying game ever, Jet Rocket. As the years went on, we saw graphics change but our joy of flying never dwindled. As long as we dream of soaring, they’ll keep simulating it.
Toys in the Attic - Evel Knievel If you’re like us, you probably used your bikes for some pretty crazy stunts when you were little. You may have been inspired by the motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel. We look at his life and the cool toys that he inspired. Don’t try this at home, kids! |
Mon, 29 June 2020
Do you remember your first car? The freedom it gave us was the beginning of an important chapter of the TechnoRetro Dads’ lives. And the FM radio we listened to kept us entertained as we cruised down the road.
A look back at our first cars and the FM Radio that we all listened to!
In the NEWS
Toys in the Attic - Our first cars You never forget your first ride. Jay had a VW Beetle and Shua had a...well, he’d like to forget. We remember what our first cars meant to us, and share some of the sweet wheels our earbuds had too. What did it mean to you and what ended up happening to it?
Vinyl Scratchback - FM Radio In the 70’s and 80’s there was almost no form of entertainment so accessible as the radio. We listened in our bedrooms, our living rooms, doing yardwork, in our headphones, and especially in our cars. And FM stations crowded the airwaves giving us the legendary music that is still popular today. Shua break down a short history of how FM was developed into what it was when DJs ruled the airwaves. Then we remember some of the stations that were big in the cities where we grew up.
Saturday Mornings - Speed Buggy Speed Buggy was a Hanna-Barbera cartoon that only lasted for 16 episodes, but it left a mark that keeps it in our memories today. Part Scooby Doo, part Josie and the Pussycats, it told the tale of a little dune buggy and his friends. |
Mon, 22 June 2020
Happy TechnoRetro Dads Day! Shane the Roving Spoonster joins Jay and Shua to talk cereal, take the ultimate Dads Quiz, and revisit the Rick Moranis classic, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
We celebrate the Papas and those who are fulfilling the Papa role!
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal For the first time ever, The Roving Spoonster, Shane joins us to talk Dads and cereal. First, he shares news of each state’s favorite cereal. Did your favorite make the cut? Next, what can we do if our coffee creamer runs out? How about some cereal milk. Another casualty of cancellations is Battle Creek, Michigan’s National Cereal Festival. And have you ever tried to freeze your cereal? We’ll talk about some results.
Ultimate Pop Culture Dad Quiz! It’s Father’s Day week. Do you remember all the dads that helped to raise you? We’re talking about, of course, the ones you saw on TV and in the movies. How much do you remember about these retro Pops and what they did right (and wrong) when raising their kiddos. Shane and Jay go head-to-head in this fun game of Daddy-ness.
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids On June 23, 1989 you may have been sitting in a movie theater watching the premiere of Tim Burton’s Batman. But if you couldn’t get in, you may have checked out another movie that opened that day. Disney’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids starred a nice, wide variety of popular actors from the time, including Ghostbuster’s Rick Moranis and Max Headroom himself, Matt Frewer. It tells the story of four kids that get miniaturized by their quirky, scientist dad Wayne Szalinski. They have to cut their way through the backyard to find a way to get big again. Shane joins in the discussion as we revisit this fun, family comedy.
|
Mon, 15 June 2020
Take Off with Bob and Doug’s Strange Brew! Superfriend Sheldon joins us as we look back at the movie Strange Brew, test our Canadian knowledge, and play the arcade game Root Beer Tapper.
Take off to the Great White North!
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal
Let’s All Go to the Movies - Strange Brew In 2020, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley intercepted with the International Space Station, but in 1983 Bob and Doug McKenzie intercepted with the Elsinore Brewing Company in the movie Strange Brew. This spinoff of their popular skit on SCTV hit theaters and showed the fictional brothers’ true love of beer. Sheldon Norton, Superfriend and Canadian, join Jay and Shua to reminisce about the goofy comedy and then give them a test to see how Canadian they actually are.
TechnoRetro Arcade: Bally Midway’s Root Beer Tapper In 1983, Bally released an arcade game where you got to be a bartender! But you have the option of serving up some delicious, foamy root beer in this classic game where your coordination must be in tip top shape so you don’t drop the mugs. |
Mon, 8 June 2020
Jay and Shua get their tushies to Mars as they look back at Ah-nuld’s classic movie Total Recall! Plus, summer toys, and cereal! |
Mon, 1 June 2020
TechnoRetro Dads: A Summer of Monkeys and Chevys as we welcome Jovial Jay! Fletch, Paul Simon’s Graceland, and a Secret of Monkey Island
Our good buddy shazbazzar is going to be taking some time off from the show. But never fear, the witty and effervescent Jay Shepard will be filling in!
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal Great stories, courtesy of our Roving Spoonster Shane! Kelloggs has heard our wishes and given us giant cereal for your snacking pleasure. A new, sweet cereal is released from the small company Magic Spoon. A new way to close cereal boxes. Plus, enjoying some mini pancakes as a cereal. Is it a good idea?
Vinyl Scratchback Do you remember Paul Simon’s 1986 release, Graceland? We take a look back on the influence of this groundbreaking album, and discuss some of the more memorable songs. And do we recognize someone from that You Can Call Me Al video?
TechnoRetro Arcade: The Secret of Monkey Island In 1990 Lucasfilm Games released one of their biggest hits about a pirate named Guybrush Threepwood. Well, he wants to be a pirate. And you, as the player, will have to go on adventures and solve puzzles in this graphic adventure game reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Let’s All Go to the Movies The summer of 1985 was kicked off in the movie theater with one of our favorite Not Ready for Primetime Players, Chevy Chase. Fletch was one of Chase’s biggest, (and funniest) movies. Quotable lines and hysterical humor made this one a movie with years of rewatch potential. |
Thu, 21 May 2020
The Empire Strikes Back premiered in theaters 40 years ago today. And since the number 40 has a nice ring to it, TechnoRetro Dads delve into the archives of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem as a soundtrack for the day. In a strange turn of events, an alternative version of the radio show came across the airwaves as host Spacey Ace’em counts down the Top Ten from the week of May 21, 1980 and while the tunes sound familiar, the lyrics are a bit odd. Count down the greatest hits of this week 40 years ago with a flair from that galaxy far, far away.
10. “Biggest Hope We Have” (Am Yozia) Yozya, of a wrinkled and green species unrecorded in the Official Archives of the Galactic Empire, sings about his great, great, great, great uncle’s training of a farm boy from Tatooine during his self-imposed exile on Dagobah.
9. “Another Snow-Covered Brawl” (Pink Asteroid) This controversial piece has been banned from educational academies throughout the Galactic Empire because of its alleged ties to the traitorous Rebel Alliance.
8. “Don’t Find a Friend in a Gambler” (Gordon Rogers and Buck Girard) A duet about scoundrels, pirates, and honor among thieves that you’re going to have to hear to the end.
7. “You May Be Right, I May Be Scruffy” (Joel Willbilly) Willbilly hits hard with this raucous tune about a scoundrel with a high opinion of himself. Perhaps a princess and a scoundrel could have a future.
6. “Roll the Dice” (Dr. Bookie) Known for their songs about fast podracers, fast ships, and fast money, “Roll the Dice” comes from the band’s latest album, Canto Blight.
5. “With You I’m Left Behind” (C-3PO and R2-D2) The second duet in the top ten this week features a protocol droid and an astromech singing a song you’ll hope never ends.
4. “BespinTown” (Faux No) From the album Villa Manilla, the lip-syncing pseudo-band Faux No tells the story of a city that will get you moving and grooving.
3. “Frozen Love” (Iron Lung) “Frozen Love” will warm the coldest hearts with a love song that will make you say, “I know.”
2. “Fly the Slave 1” (Cross-2-4-Chris) Cross-2-4-Chris knows about the relationship of a pilot and his ship. While it’s not quite as romantic as his number one hit “Solo’s Falcon”, this song about Han Solo’s rival will have you hunting bounties in no time.
1. “Call Me” (Blah N Di) Force Time. Enough said.
And that’s the Top Ten. Of course, there are a few surprises along the way, so plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and turn up the tunes. We’re betting you’ll be crying before it’s over. In case this wasn’t all you hoped it would be, tune in to the last Top40 Top Ten from May 25, 1977 here. |
Mon, 11 May 2020
Where would we be without our Moms? Well, nowhere, obviously. I mean, people don’t just randomly occur by chance. And no, storks are not the answer folks, regardless of what Papa Smurf told you about “once in a blue moon”.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and more and more people are jumping on the #chillyourbowl bandwagon as boxes disappear from grocery store shelves like they were toilet paper. Discover new cereals for your taste buds while binging your favorite toons on your days off. You can even order cereal (and more) from The Cereal Box, Inc.
TechnoRetro Arcade: Mothers Atari brought a hip-hoppin’ punch-throwin’ Mom to the arcade with a Popeye vs. Donkey Kong game called Kangaroo. PLUS: we find out the origins of Blanka from Street Fighter II — and see his mom!
Let’s All Go to the Movies Moms in movies from the ‘70s and ‘80s were scary, sweet, tormented, and awesome. Which ones do you remember? Which ones would you like to forget?
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 4 May 2020
May 25, 1977 — Star Wars dazzles audiences. May 21, 1980 — The Empire Strikes Back hits a home run. May 4, 2020 — TechnoRetro Dads pay tribute to the FORCE that became even more powerful with the sequel.
In the NEWS Disney+ says, “May the 4th Be with You” with:
And Yoda Is His Name-Oh There was a Jedi, not too tall, Well, even if his name has too few letters to fit the song, even if he isn’t tall enough to ride certain attractions at Walt Disney World, and even if he is all wrinkled and green, Yoda proved to be the ultimate Jedi Master with his quirky personality, questionable syntax, and quotable words of wisdom. We continue in our amazement of Yoda lifting Luke’s X-Wing from the swamp and examine why his pithy proverb uttered in The Empire Strikes Back has had such an impact on the world and the ‘Dads themselves. JediShua remembers when Yoda was purple; shazbazzar thinks that the Hulk was, too.
We Love Our Cereal… …and we think that Star Wars characters would, too. JediShua and shazbazzar consider which cereals from our galaxy would most appeal to our friends from that galaxy far, far away.
TechnoRetro Arcade: The Empire Strikes Back From the Atari arcade revamp of Star Wars to the home version of the “Battle in the Snow” to the immersive experience of on the Super NES, shazbazzar and JediShua remember when you could put yourself in the action of The Empire Strikes Back.
Thanks to Talented Friends and Friendly Talents We think you’re funny!
|
Wed, 1 April 2020
After seven years of podcasting, did the TechnoRetro Dads call it quits? Well, not yet at least. Join shazbazzar and JediShua for the premiere of the eighth season of TechnoRetro Dads today, featuring musical cues from:
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Thu, 26 March 2020
Take time to enjoy the stuff you loved as a kid as the weather gets better outside and a lot of people are in the middle of Spring Break. Check out what’s on TechnoRetro Dads this week:
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 16 March 2020
In the mid-80s, Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories was a weekly treat for fans of the far-out and freaky with its John Williams’ theme and oddball anthology style. Every Monday night brought another mini-movie as science fiction crossed over with comedy, horror, drama, or fantasy. Now that it’s back on AppleTV+, shazbazzar and JediShua renew their fervor for the series as the “third season” picks up where we left off more than thirty years ago.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …but not everyone is a fan of cartoon cereal mascots. Aldi is set to follow the trend of pulling cartoon characters from boxes of sugary cereal. Syracuse alumnus kicks off a new business creating a brand of “healthy” kids’ cereals.
Saturday Mornings: Jonny Quest Who knew that Jonny Quest was originally aired in a prime time slot in the ‘60s? While it wasn’t actually Saturday morning fare, the short-lived series was ahead of its time in artistic style, story content, and pretty much everything except for the dog. Somehow, Bandit must have sneaked onto the set unseen and the Quests couldn’t get rid of him.
Amazing Stories From the John Williams theme to the stranger than Stranger Things vibe of the show, anthology series Amazing Stories touched a nerve among teens who were looking for science fiction/fantasy entertainment in the mid-1980s. Now that the series is being continued on AppleTV+, the ‘Dads revisit the show they loved more than thirty years ago.
The Road to The Empire Strikes Back Where would Mark Hamill go to plug the sequel to Star Wars? A comedy variety show, of course. Accompanied by the characters of Star Wars, Mark had a blast with the “argyle gargoyle” and the entire cast of The Muppet Show as Mark, Luke, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca invaded the Muppets’ stage in this unapologetic “vaudevillainous” stop on the press tour as the hype for The Empire Strikes Back continues to grow in February 1980.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 9 March 2020
Beneath your feet a superheated maelstrom is churning, burning, yearning to be borne to the surface through a crack in the crust and carried to new heights in a funnel-shaped mountain in hopes of bursting forth into our cruel, cool world. Magma, lava, it’s all the same — just a different location. Tune in for explosive eruptions on TechnoRetro Dads as we explore the hot topic of volcanoes.
In the NEWS Nik Wallenda walks across the mouth of a volcano . . . on a tightrope. And he did it just in time to be featured on this volcanic episode of TechnoRetro Dads. Yep. We’re that hot!
We Love Our Cereal… …even in pancakes. And the world seems to agree. Cap’n Crunch has a new Berrytastic Pancake Mix you can make at home. Or, if flipping flapjacks sounds like too much work, you can go to IHOP and enjoy their cereal pancakes. Swiss Miss will soon release Lucky Charms hot chocolate you can heat over the cone of a volcano (if you’re daring). Florida girl is a cereal hero who continues collecting boxes of cereal for the less fortunate in the Tampa area.
Joe Versus The Volcano Thirty years ago, Tom Hanks was connived into agreeing to jump into a volcano for Lloyd Bridges because Robert Stack clouded his mind through masterful manipulation. And just when it seemed that things couldn’t get any stranger, Meg Ryan showed up with Meg Ryan and Meg Ryan — all of whom were more than a tad bit interested in Tom Hanks. Add some orange soda and an island big enough for Abe Vigoda and Nathan Lane and you’ve got a match Vegas would love to see. In the aftermath of Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas, we were given a red hot battle in Joe Versus the Volcano.
TechnoRetro Arcade: Volcanoes in Video Games Whether it was the never-changing vector-graphic volcano in Battlezone or “Lethal Lava Land” in Mario 64, we lava the explosive eruptions and magmaficently brilliant digital flows in video games at home and in the arcade.
Feedback
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 2 March 2020
You can #chillyourbowl in the frigid waters of Russia with Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in the first film adaptation of a Tom Clancy “Jack Ryan” novel.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal……and when there’s gold in boxes of Lucky Charms, there’s even more to love. But when buying a box of cereal means you have to pawn your wedding ring, we’re not overly excited.
TechnoRetro Arcade: Video Game CerealsFrom Donkey Kong to Pac-Man, cereals have been known to capitalize on licensing video games to garner more of the Saturday morning cereal lovers’ pastimes.
The Hunt for Red OctoberWith an iconic soundtrack by Basil Poledouris and an all-star cast featuring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgård, Courtney B. Vance, Jeffrey Jones, Fred Thompson, Sven-Ole Thorsen, and Gates McFadden, The Hunt for Red October preyed on our lingering fears from the Cold War and our interest in suspenseful action movies. JediShua and shazbazzar remember and rewatch The Hunt for Red October thirty years later.
FeedbackCheck out these voicemails and electronic-Ms from our EarBuds!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 24 February 2020
How did two years of “Retro Day” pass without us noticing? Join shazbazzar and JediShua as we make up for lost time in a week devoted to a mix tape of truly TechnoRetro tributes.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and magic. However, the lines between science, magic, and downright witchcraft are getting blurry with the pink pebbles that may make blue poo as Post announces Magic Fruity Pebbles.
Vinyl Scratchback: Retro Mix Tape JediShua and shazbazzar suggest five-song TechnoRetro Day mix tapes from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Several EarBuds chime in with their ideas, too!
TechnoRetro Arcade Remember what it was like to go into the arcade at the mall or shopping center with a five-dollar bill? With a bit of foresight based on hindsight (it is 2020, after all), JediShua and shazbazzar plan their TechnoRetro Day trip to the arcade.
Saturday Mornings The ‘Dads dig into truly retro cartoons they dug as kids (even if they weren’t strictly Saturday morning fare). With just a bit of controversy, their lists of TechnoRetro Day cartoons will have you reaching for a chilled bowl of your favorite cereal this Thursday.
The Road to the Empire Strikes Back During the three year-long interval between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, the kids of the ‘70s needed something to keep them in that galaxy far, far away without losing their minds waiting for there heroes to return. Thankfully, Kenner had the prescription to keep hypersensitive kids from going full-on hyperactive: Star Wars action figures, playsets, and vehicles. Take a trip back in time as shazbazzar and JediShua relive the timeless toys from 1978, 1979, 1980, and beyond on the Road to the Empire Strikes Back.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 17 February 2020
Tune up and tune in for some cartoon tunes as animated bands set the stage for music and memories on this mid-February episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and Buffalo does, too. Check out The Cereal Spot where the bowls are chilled all winter! Go to Kansas City and get you a super bowl of Mahomes Magic Crunch! In Japan, you can even get a sweet box of Hershey’s Matcha Chocolate cereal.
Saturday Mornings Listen to the bands as they play cartoon tunes on Saturday mornings from the 1960s to the early 1990s. Some of these may be more obscure than others, but with a little help from EarBuds, shazbazzar and JediShua have pieced together a nice set list of songs from animated television.
Let’s All Go to the Movies: Witness When an eight year-old Amish boy witnesses a murder as he travels to Philadelphia, John Book has to get involved for everyone’s safety as the case is investigated. Remember Witness from 1985 starring Harrison Ford, Lukas Haas, and Kelly McGillis, and many more famous faces.
The Road to the Empire Strikes Back From soundtracks to disco covers, the music of a galaxy far, far away lived on in the late ‘70s and 1980 as we all eagerly awaited the sequel to Star Wars. Get out the turntable and spin some vinyl with JediShua and shazbazzar as we listen to everything from orchestral music, disco, and even read-along books on the Road to the Empire Strikes Back.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 10 February 2020
The football champions have been crowned. Grammy and Oscar have had their nights. Once again, it’s time for TechnoRetro Dads with an episode that’s longer than a commercial for Super Mario Bros. 3.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …but not the way everyone eats it. JediShua reveals why #ChillYourBowl is better than a recent TikTok challenge as shazbazzar unveils the best ice cream cereal ideas ever will soon be in the freezer at your local grocery store.
TechnoRetro Arcade In 1990, Mario and Luigi got new powers and costume changes in Super Mario Bros. 3. The U.S. release of this game brought in lots of cash for Nintendo after the longest commercial in video game history was shown in theaters under the name The Wizard.
Romantic Scenes from TechnoRetro Movies With Valentine’s Day coming this week, it’s a great time to look back at some great movies from our younger years to highlight some of the most romantic scenes in the movies we love. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that these movie scenes taught us life-long lessons about love.
Don’t Forget! Although the GOLIVERSE marathon for Cure Childhood Cancer is over, you can still make your tax-free donation to help eliminate childhood cancer in our lifetime by making your gift here!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 27 January 2020
Sure, you recognize Mom and Dad are palindromes, but did you notice the racecar? It was a Toyota. Yep, that was another one. It could be expanded in context, too: A Toyota. Race fast, safe car. A Toyota. Wow, that was long! And we saw a Jawa sew DNA. Okay, that really didn’t make much sense, but if it was an offworld Jawa, it might explain something about baby Yoda. Since this is the last show before Palindrome Day, shazbazzar and JediShua wanted to remind you that next Sunday is 2020.02.02 (or 02.02.2020). So get busy going backwards and forwards at the same time. Wait, isn’t that what TechnoRetro Dads is all about?
In the NEWS
TechnoRetro Arcade Nintendo seems to have forgotten Stanley, the hero of Donkey Kong 3. So have the rest of us, evidently. Witness the child of Galaga and Donkey Kong below:
Game Shows From Wheel of Fortune to Jeopardy, game shows have been a part of our lives since childhood. We remember hosts, games, prizes, and more from shows like Tic Tac Dough, Press Your Luck, Scrabble, Hollywood Squares, $10,000 Pyramid, $25,000 Pyramid, The Price is Right, The Gong Show, Name that Tune, Sale of the Century, Concentration, Card Sharks, Jokers Wild, Win, Lose, or Draw, as well as Double Dare, Remote Control, and Legends of the Hidden Temple.
The Road to The Empire Strikes Back Comic books were essential for the continuing story of Luke Skywalker and his friends after Star Wars left theaters. Part of the hype leading up to The Empire Strikes Back included catching up with old friends and meeting new ones in the pages of Marvel’s Star Wars comic books.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 20 January 2020
The LSU Tigers are the undisputed champions of college football. JediShua has had some experience with electronic and hard-hitting Big Toe football. Scott Ryfun has an odd collection of football games. The Mississippi State Bulldogs have an entertaining new coach. And of all the games we're talking about this morning, football really isn't it. But you would do well to take a RISK and tune in to TechnoRetro Dads right now!
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and Cheerios love our hearts. Plus: Reese's Big Puffs have been spotted in the stores. Is the picture on the front of the box a scale version of these enormous cereal puffs we've been hearing about?
TechnoRetro Arcade JediShua and shazbazzar imagine what their home arcades could be like even as Shua is actually putting his together.
Saturday Mornings Part of the fun of our youth was sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal on Saturday mornings before your friends (and maybe your family) got up. Some EarBuds chime in on shows they remember.
Risk: A Game of World Domination Start with one continent and then expand outward while protecting your land from outside attackers in the classic game of Risk. Draw your cards, move your pieces, roll the dice, get ready to fight in this game that continues to be popular after over sixty years.
The Road to The Empire Strikes Back With no internet access to quench Star Wars' fans' thirst for information about the upcoming sequel, kids and adults relied on print media to provide sufficient bits of news to keep the hype going and growing on the long, long drive down the Road to The Empire Strikes Back.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 13 January 2020
Whether Mr. Cab Driver refuses to pick you up or Lady Cab Driver is caught in the Crosstown Traffic, Baby, You Can Drive My Car while we talk about cars this week on TechnoRetro Dads. Take us along on your Monday morning commute for a road trip through five decades of love bugs, imperial slugs, with wheels, deals, and lots of banana peels.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …but Mexico evidently doesn’t like iconic cartoon cereal mascots like Tony the Tiger. However, Gene Simmons does enjoy his cereal — with ice cubes.
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) In the third sequel to Disney’s The Love Bug, Herbie has ended up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and has been inherited by Pete from his uncle Jim Douglas. As he goes to pick Herbie up with his friend DJ, the two are pickpocketed by an orphan boy named Paco. In an unexpected twist, Paco also robbed some bad guys, who are after some Incan gold. In the stolen wallet was a piece of film that would lead the villains to the gold. Seeking an escape, Paco hides in Herbie and gets onboard the cruise ship Sun Princess. All our heroes meet up with Captain Blythe, Louise, and her anthropology student niece, Melissa. The captain tosses Herbie overboard after his mischievous antics and all seems lost. But Herbie swims to shore, meets up with Paco, fights a bull, and helps Paco, Pete, and DJ race for the gold.
JediShua’s New TechnoRetro Studio The walls are up. The shelves are installed. The collectibles are being displayed. Soon, JediShua will share the O.A.S.I.S. with family, friends, and EarBuds in a fun-filled room with absolutely no rabbits allowed — except on boxes of TRIX.
The Road to The Empire Strikes Back Forty years ago, young Shua and younger shaz anxiously awaited the sequel to the most amazing movie they had (and have) ever seen. Join the TechnoRetro Dads each week as we remember the five month long drive down the Road to The Empire Strikes Back.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 6 January 2020
As the smoke clears from shazbazzar’s ongoing battle with the chipmunks, Sheldon Norton and JediShua help clear shazbazzar’s vision by providing insights into some aftershocks of Star Wars that could have catapulted Disney into the modern age of science fiction with the last movie made “the old-fashioned way”. It’s perfect 20/20 vision in the first episode of 2020 this Monday morning!
Sad NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and dad jokes on cereal containers’ labels that our Roving Spoonster discovered over the holidays.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Sheldon, Shua, and shaz recount their experiences watching The Rise of Skywalker for the first (second and third) time before studying some Star Wars Aftershocks from 1979.
The Black Hole After the blockbuster success of Star Wars, filmmakers rushed headlong into the cinematic “space race” in hopes of capitalizing on the success of George Lucas’s zeitgeist. Even Disney was not immune to the attraction of the stars above, embarking on a quest the Mouse had never before undertaken. That’s how Disney found themselves pulled into the inescapable gravity of a huge budget and PG rating of The Black Hole. In a quest to discover answers, Disney tells the story of how German scientist Hans Reinhardt maintains his ship, the Cygnus, next to a black hole, planning to plunge the ship into and through the dark monstrosity in his quest for knowledge: specifically, what caused the cause that created the known universe.
EarBuds’ Toy Catalog The results of the “toys for all” bracket of 2019’s toy catalog are in. SPOILER ALERT: It’s Nerf or nothing!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 23 December 2019
’Tis the season of Star Wars with The Rise of Skywalker, and of course the ‘Dads seen it…once or twice. Now shazbazzar and JediShua go window shopping and find special last-minute gifts for each other in the spirit of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (or The Gift of the Magi, if you prefer). Take 77 minutes of music with you on your last day of work and final shopping trips this weekend with tunes by Buster Poindexter, Kurt Russell, John Kirby, The Monkees, Brian Setzer, Yogi Yorgesson, Danger Danger, Dropkick Murphys, William Shatner, Ray Stevens, The Matinee, Cyndi Lauper, and more. Experience cartoon voices from The Smurfs, ALF, The Transformers, Pinky and the Brain, G.I.Joe, and Pac-Man. Finally, plug into the Christmas spirit with Star Wars and video game music. It’s the sixth edition of UnScrooged — share and enjoy! Merry Christmas, EarBuds! |
Mon, 16 December 2019
Join us for an “uncut” and “raw” episode of TechnoRetro Dads in this Star Wars Scrapbook covering eight movies, several theaters, and a handful of states as we recall our lifetime of involvement with the Skywalker family in the films that have had the biggest impact on our lives. May the Force Be with you. |
Mon, 9 December 2019
If your family’s antics are a bit more for you to deal with for two or more weeks of winter break, you can always ease the tension with a highly competitive board game like Battleship or a nerve-wracking round of Perfection.
Whether Sorry summons your inner sadist to the surface or your masochistic side years for endless hours of Monopoly, we’re all likely to break out the board games over the holidays. So put your copy of Christmas Vacation in the VCR and gather the family for a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit. In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and cereal boxes with Star Wars themed T-Shirts from Funko at your local WalMart! National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Celebrate thirty years with the Griswolds at their home in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. JediShua and shazbazzar recall the Vacation movies, especially Christmas Vacation as the season continues to be holly jolly in spite of Murphy’s Law interrupting this movie for a couple hours of laughs most of your family will enjoy (others will squirm in their seats, become sick, or just walk out of the room). TechnoRetro EarBuds’ Toy Catalog Games are on deck as Mattel Electronic Football, Battleship, skateboards, Connect Four, Mousetrap, Barrel of Monkeys, Monopoly, and Risk compete for votes from our EarBuds. Don’t let your vote go unnoticed. Be sure to check social media outlets every day and voice your choices in the Toy Catalog brackets this week! Board Games JediShua and shazbazzar thumb through EarBuds’ comments about the games they have loved from childhood and today. Play on! Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 2 December 2019
Their five-year mission was cut short on television, but a decade later, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. “Bones” McCoy embarked on a brand-new ongoing mission that would take them beyond the limitations of living rooms and into the cinematic universe with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. TechnoRetro Toy Catalog Star Wars Aftershocks: Star Trek: The Motion Picture TechnoRetro Arcade Science Lesson Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 25 November 2019
When Mr. Carlson gets his next hair-brained idea for a Thanksgiving promotional for WKRP, someone please remind him of what happened last time. Especially if he thinks he can use the Omegahedron to create some gobblers to save the world from the evil witch Serena. Maybe it would be better to stay in and watch Gary Coleman’s appearance on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century on Turkey Day. It might avoid another Turkeypocalypse.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal…
Prime Time on Thanksgiving (1979)
TechnoRetro Toy Catalog
Let’s Go to the Movies: Supergirl
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Sun, 17 November 2019
Perhaps you remember seeing Chewbacca’s family on your TV that fateful night in November of 1978, but it’s highly unlikely that you knew about the sequel to The Star Wars Holiday Special before today. We have rediscovered the promo for The Star Wars Holiday Special Strikes Back and think we know why the program was shelved before its release. Tune in for a bonus-sized, early release of TechnoRetro Dads on the 41st anniversary of The Star Wars Holiday Special.
In the NEWS Hey, hey, the Monkees (well, half of the Monkees) are going on tour again this April.
We Love Our Cereal… …and Twinkies, too! Beware of speeding to the store to find Post Hostess Twinkies cereal, though. The police are watching for people who eat cereal and drive — they may be impaired.
TechnoRetro Toy Catalogue The brackets begin this week as we scour the pages of our old toy catalogues for the action figures we want most for Christmas this year. Be sure to watch our social media pages every day this week to vote for the toys you want Santa to put under your tree this year — or last year — or in 1984…
The Star Wars Holiday Special (Strikes Back) On November 17, 1978 at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, lucky kids across the nation were treated to two hours of indistinct chatter (and growls) from Wookiees, threats from Imperials, music, magic, and mania that was The Star Wars Holiday Special. And for the past six years, shazbazzar and JediShua have been celebrating Life Day this time every year in honor of the television special we thought we would never see again. But this year we have rediscovered the nearly unknown sequel, The Star Wars Holiday Special Strikes Back. Thankfully, we have the promo for the unaired special on cassette tape, so strap in for excitement and entertainment from a galaxy far, far away with Yoda and the Wookiees as we play the tape for you this week!
The Mandalorian Chris Luby, cohost of The Geek State Podcast, joins the ‘Dads for an extended discussion of the first chapter of The Mandalorian and speculation about future chapters and seasons of this instant hit series on Disney+.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 11 November 2019
Take a walk in a field of clever with shazbazzar and JediShua this Veterans’ Day as TechnoRetro Dads eat cereal, a magic dragon eats homework, and everyone peruses the menu of Disney+ to see what’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow.
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster continues to share the love:
Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies He’s your big, green buddy who teaches life-lessons in television specials featuring sing-a-long songs, imaginative animation, and Mickey from Rocky. Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies is the sequel that aired one year after The Star Wars Holiday Special. The second of three Puff the Magic Dragon TV specials featured Sandy who had a penchant for telling whoppers to get attention and/or get out of trouble, so Puff the Magic Dragon selflessly sacrificed himself to teach her the sad truth about lying.
The Wonderful World of Disney+ JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the movies and programs they’re looking forward to watching on the new Disney+ service that kicks off tomorrow.
Star Wars Scrapbook The Rise of Skywalker discussion continues with the scene of C-3PO with his “friends” that was seen in the final trailer for the final film in the Skywalker saga. The Elton John soundtrack is not included in this episode.
Feedback Discord goes to the dogs with feedback from Joey, Laffy, and others on the RetroZap Discord TechnoRetro Dads channel.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 4 November 2019
Open up a bottle of LaCro IX or StCro IX and kick back with the TechnoRetro Dads and other EarBuds as we speculate about Star Wars and reminisce about celebrity dogs in movies and on television.
In the NEWS:
Saturday Mornings Go to the Dogs From cartoon canines like Astro, Clifford, Dino, Droopy, Mr. Peabody, Pluto, and Scooby Doo to movie mutts like Benji, Beethoven, Cujo, K-9, Hooch, Otis, and The Shaggy D.A., Saturdays have often “gone to the dogs”. Tune in to see which barkers you remember from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and beyond.
Star Wars Scrapbook The Rise of Skywalker is just weeks away, and we’re hyped with more discussion from the final trailer for the movie. JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the voice-overs and speculate about what each of them might mean as the Star Wars Skywalker saga ends with Episode IX. TEASER: JediShua is drinking LaCroIX.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 28 October 2019
It’s the last Monday before Halloween, the National Peanut Festival, November, and the return to standard time. Oh, yeah, and the first Monday after the last trailer for a Skywalker saga Star Wars movie. Yep. There’s lots to talk about today. PLUS: jokes from our friends and fellow RetroZap celebrities.
In the NEWS: Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas is being rewritten, rescored, and remade…maybe.
We Want Candy! Get out your plastic pumpkins and pillow cases; trick-or-treat is almost here! We remember some of our favorite sugary treats from Halloweens past as we scrounge around in our closet floors and find remnants of forty-or-so years gone by. This year’s top treats are also in the mix.
Creative Costumes EarBuds and SuperFriends share memories of trick-or-treating in costumes from boxes, costumes made of boxes, and costumes created by moms, dads, and kids and kids-at-heart.
Star Wars Scrapbook With the final trailer of the Skywalker saga available for viewing, rewinding, and viewing again and again (slow-motion and pause enabled), shazbazzar and JediShua start speculating in earnest based on what little has been shown so far. Let the hype begin!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 21 October 2019
Halloween is coming soon and robots on screen can be the most terrifying creatures ever invented. The sights and sounds of robots in movies, TV shows, and video games can get your heart beating faster while sitting absolutely still (which you want to do if they haven’t seen you, yet).
We Love Our Cereal… …and so do Michael Nipp, Ron Lafontaine, and the Roving Spoonster.
Space Camp JediShua enjoyed his journey to Mars after a day’s training to be an astronaut in Huntsville, Alabama. From learning more about the history of the space program and NASA to hands-on experience, Space Camp was well worth the money spent on this thoughtful gift. But Space Camp isn’t just a weekend adventure; it’s a campy movie from 1986! The ‘Dads talk about the movie that likely suffered from the Challenger tragedy that struck just a few months before its release — it’s plot, odd geography, and big name actors in this oft-forgotten flick.
Scary Robots From theaters to living rooms to arcades, robots can be scary. Remember these films, shows, and games?
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.
Share and enjoy. |
Mon, 14 October 2019
It’s Monday, but we’re talking Wednesday as Pugsley realizes that Thing on his back might just Fester. When you Add(ams) it all up, it’s a creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky family that is rooted in the early 1930s. And with a new movie out in theaters, The Addams Family is the epitome of #TechnoRetro.
In the NEWS: The confetti king, the props meister, the triumph of the toupee Rip Taylor leaves this world after marking it with his flair for flamboyance. Picard is coming and the new trailer is the next generator of discussion in the science fiction community. PLUS: Netflix’s Lost in Space will continue on Christmas Eve!
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster has some ‘80s style updates as Honeycomb and Super Golden Crisp bring wrestlers back to cereal boxes in your supermarket. Cheerios add yet another flavor to the classic cereal with coconut. We don’t think the texture will accompany the flavor, though.
Let’s All Go to the Movies (and television shows)! The Addams Family is rooted in Charles Addams’s 1930s comic strip, but has been in pop culture through the 1960s television show, a ‘70s variety pilot (which thankfully didn’t get a green light), a ‘70s cartoon series, a made-for-TV movie on ABC in 1977, two movies in the ‘90s with Raul Julia, Anjelica Houston, and Christopher Lloyd, a ‘90s era cartoon on television (with Rip Taylor), and now an animated movie in theaters. After a great first weekend, The Addams Family is doing well at the box office, but hasn’t put Joker in a Lurch. We cover decades of wealthy weirdos in this mid-October episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
Star Wars Scrapbook From Ben Cooper boxes of cheap plastic masks and vinyl coveralls to homemade costumes of varying screen-accuracy and craftsmanship, Star Wars costumes have been part of our lives since 1977. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Yoda, and Ewoks are fondly remembered by shazbazzar and JediShua as well as some memorable costumes from several EarBuds. It’s all in this week’s Star Wars Scrapbook memories.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 7 October 2019
Who will dare to enter the haunted house first?
TechnoRetro Arcade: Horror or Horrendous? From the pre-digital days of arcade games to full-scale cabinets and even home consoles, Jovial Jay, JediShua, and shazbazzar share some TechnoRetro games you might remember.
Let’s All Go to the Movies! The Professor of Film, SuperFriend Jovial Jay, lends his cinematic expertise to the show (and adds at least some credibility to all the silliness) by explaining why some horror/suspense/thrillers stand the test of time and introduces his “31 Days of Horror” series on RetroZap.com.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 30 September 2019
What do Frankenstein, a French octopus, and frightening frogmen from the Soviet Union have in common? They are all mentioned on this week’s TechnoRetro Dads. Tune in for 77 minutes of fun as September ends and the month of monsters begins.
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal! Halloween cereals are spotted in Walmart (with “Spooky Marshmallows”)!
TechnoRetro Arcade: King of the Monsters Somewhere between Street Fighter and Rampage lives a NeoGeo game from the early ‘90s that pits enormous beasts (with odd names) against each other over a backdrop of Japanese cities.
Let’s All Go to the Movies! Sticking with the theme of monsters, shazbazzar and JediShua look back at some movies from the ‘80s and the monsters that might have plagued our nightmares (or just lived under Fred Savage’s bed).
TechnoRetro Feedback
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 23 September 2019
Although we’re all a bit down about losing musical icons like Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek, this morning also features some good news about a specific SuperFriend and some exciting TechnoRetro shows on NBC’s streaming service, a peek at some spooky cereals, terrific (or terrible) autumnal jokes, timely arcade games, informative science lessons, and feedback.
In the NEWS:
We Love Our Cereal… …and so do Disney and Funko. Maleficent, Oogie Boogie, and four more Disney villains get mini-pops in the continuing Funko cereal series this October.
Vinyl Scratchback Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek debuted in the ‘70s with hit tunes and continued their popularity into the ‘80s and beyond. With recent news about their recent deaths in mind, we remember some of their hits from our youth.
TechnoRetro Arcade
Science Lesson JediShua teaches various theories about time travel and how they work and how they don’t work. You can decide which theory or theories you think might be possible.
Feedback Jovial Jay discovers digital assistants’ rap crossover. Onkl Mawks has an entire collection of Elton John records for shAbbeyzzar. And Wes loves to ride his Mongoose (bicycle). |
Mon, 16 September 2019
Traveling through time is a weekly event for shazbazzar and JediShua, but we never realized just how many movies (and how many genres) feature time travel in some way or another. Thankfully, Jovial Jay lends his expertise in cinematic time travel to reveal the many movies and many means of traveling through time since film projectors brought motion pictures to life on the big screen.
In the NEWS…
Let’s All Go Back to the Movies! Jovial Jay joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a more expansive look at movies featuring time travel. Whether the film was fantasy or a science-fiction story, the sheer number of movies that deal with traveling through time in some manner or another is almost enough to power a flux capacitor! JediShua, shazbazzar, and Jovial Jay discuss this timeless trope in various decades and genres with special attention to some favorites from EarBuds.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 9 September 2019
Whether it was your first Bike, a Bicycle Race, a Huffy, Murray, Kent, or Free Spirit, kids loved and lived on their bikes in the ‘70s and ‘80s and we all remember taking off the training wheels, sliding into skids, popping wheelies, and telling Mom to “Look! No hands!” It’s all about bicycles this week, EarBuds!
We Love Our Cereal Cool cereal stories this week!
Let’s All Go to the Movies…on our bikes! Whether it was Breaking Away, American Flyers, BMX Bandits, Rad, or Quicksilver, the pedals pushed the gears to the limits in some fun and memorable movies from the ‘70s and ‘80s featuring bicycles.
Toys in the Attic: Bikes We remember riding our bikes in the driveway, around the block, at the playground, the park, and even down to the crawdad hole.
TechnoRetro Arcade Bikes are for fun. And they’re even fun at the arcade (if yours doesn’t get stolen when you’re inside shoving quarters in the machines). Sometimes, even simulating working on your two-wheeler in the classic Paperboy cabinet.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 2 September 2019
Before (or after) he was a spokesman in Coke commercials, spinning tunes as a virtual VJ, or even a TV talk show host, Max Headroom was the iconic example of artificial intelligence (well, perhaps computerized charisma) brought to “life” by a scan of Edison Carter’s brain and 3D imaging of Matt Frewer’s head and shoulders. This week’s episode is a tribute to Max Headroom with a lot of excitement about upcoming Star Wars opportunities in the near future.
In the NEWS… D23 has happened without TR3N news, any mention of The Black Hole or Something Wicked this Way Comes remakes, reboots, or sequels, but lots of Star Wars updates which may or may not include the following TechnoRetro Facts:
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future JediShua and shazbazzar watch the complete Max Headroom TV series from 1987 and explain the origin(s) of this iconic computer-generated character who continues to be a familiar face (and simulated stutterer) more than thirty years later.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 26 August 2019
From the second episode of TechnoRetro Dads until just a couple weeks ago, shazbazzar and JediShua have been covering news and rumors about The Dark Crystal from movies, books, toys, and games. For 82 minutes this Monday morning, relive the past through six seasons of TechnoRetro Dads and take another look at the only official appearance of Thra onscreen before The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance emerges on Netflix this Friday.
In the NEWS…
At the Movies: The Dark Crystal JediShua and shazbazzar watch The Dark Crystal again this week and focus on the “hero’s journey” and the characters from the world of Thra.
Family Circle: The Dark Crystal FLASHBACK Two families in two different cities across the country watched The Dark Crystal “together” on Skype. Then the TechnoRetro Dads talked about their experiences with the movie as kids and as fathers. The initial discussion from April 2013 has been remastered (from available recordings) for this exciting episode.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 19 August 2019
When you need someone to falsely support your delusions, when you wear boxer shorts appropriate for work (remember it’s called underwear for a reason), when everything is controvurtial, even if you’re a Streamer (our official designation of Generation Z), TechnoRetro Dads wants you to dream big — but not right now. It’s Monday morning and you’ve got to go to work/school so kickstart your week with 77 minutes of fun and fandom.
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal
At the Movies: Dreamscape Dennis Quaid, Kate Capshaw, Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, and Eddie Albert meet together in their dreams in the second PG-13 movie, Dreamscape.
Vinyl Scratchback: Music of Your Dreams Musical groups from the ‘70s and ‘80s were living the dream with nocturnal themes:
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 12 August 2019
While some aspects of ‘70s and ‘80s pop-culture is undoubtedly lost on those who didn’t experience the Cold War, wear brightly-colored JAMZ and Bugle Boy jeans, or remember when phones were attached by wires, the movies, music, and TV shows of that era can still elicit deeply emotional responses that transcend the generation gap. If only the whole world could just sit back and enjoy stuff for 77 minutes every Monday morning…
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal The Roving Spoonster reports bowls full of delicious news worthy of Saturday mornings!
At the Movies: Three great movies hit theaters on the same day thirty-five years ago. (One fun one showed up a week and five years later.)
TechnoRetro Arcade: Crazy Climber This vertically scrolling game pits a skyscraper climber against flowers, bird droppings, girders, and giant apes. Nope, it’s not Donkey Kong. It’s not even Krazy Kong. It’s Crazy Climber, and it deserves its moment in the limelight.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 5 August 2019
Although MAD will cease its magazine’s regular publications, the satirical wit will remain with us with decades worth of art and humor. The ‘Dads remember their experiences with zany humor from the artists and writers of MAD and the strangeness of “Weird Al” Yankovic on UHF and his decades of musical comedy and parody.
In the NEWS…
In the Magazine Rack: MAD JediShua and shazbazzar remember the clips, quips, and snips of pulp as they recall their own experiences with the satirical publication: MAD. First published in 1952, the magazine has entertained and influenced generations with adolescent humor and cultural commentary.
At the Movies: UHF George Newman has lost yet another job due to his preoccupation with his imagination. Does he get mad? Maybe. Does he despair? A bit. But then his aunt finds a career opportunity for her favorite nephew. She insists that her husband hires George to manage his recently-acquired UHF television station. Watch “Weird Al” Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, and Michael Richards on their mad trip through manic mishaps as they try to make or break the success of a small TV station just trying to garner viewers and generate ad sales. It’s UHF from 1989!
Vinyl Scratchback: “Weird Al” Yankovic From his early days of parodies and filks on The Doctor Demento Show to polka medleys and original comedy songs, “Weird Al” Yankovic consistently hits listeners’ funny bones and pinches the nerves with his catchy tunes and accordion-based numbers like “Yoda”, “Another One Rides the Bus”, “I Lost on Jeopardy”, “Smells Like Nirvana”, “Fat”, “Eat It”, “Word Crimes”, and “The Saga Begins”. Whether you simply enjoy laughing at the weirdness, singing along in the family minivan (or station wagon), or writing your own parody creations after being inspired by Weird Al’s ingenuity, you’ll enjoy sharing memories with shazbazzar and JediShua as they recall “Weird Al” Yankovic’s albums.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 29 July 2019
While shazbazzar and JediShua aren’t in middle school themselves (neither are their kids), they still enjoy traipsing through the huge corridors eating Karmelkorn and drinking Orange Julius while listening to muzak echoing through the vaulted ceilings. Add a 35 year-old fantasy movie to the mix and you’ve got a never-ending story that only lasts 77 minutes (which, by the way, is only 25 minutes shorter than The NeverEnding Story from 1984).
In the NEWS… Rutger Hauer, star of great ‘80s films like Blade Runner, The Hitcher, Blind Fury, and Ladyhawke, left this life at 75 (in 2019, the same year that the replicant Roy Batty was terminated).
On the ESCALATOR… You’ll think the trip to the second story of the mall is never-ending with the mall gags and Dad jokes that creep up in unexpected corners their minds.
At the FOOD COURT… JediShua and shazbazzar pause to talk about some of the cool things from San Diego Comic Con. Marvel movies may be the next never-ending story as there seems to be no end in sight. Plus: The Dark Crystal and toys from The Black Hole.
In the CORRIDORS… Memories of memorable malls of EarBuds and SuperFriends dominate the discussion as shazbazzar and JediShua look at the stores and arcades that used to populate the never-ending list of malls that grew in popularity during the heyday of ‘80s consumerism.
At the MOVIE THEATER… The NeverEnding Story is playing on the big screen 35 years ago, and the ‘Dads recall and rewatch this inspirational film based on the book by Michael Ende (who didn’t love the movie adaptation).
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 22 July 2019
Flashback with shazbazzar and JediShua to moon-moments from 2013, 2014, and 2017 as the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission weekend celebrations come to a close. Many EarBuds will remember our Moonbase Alpha discussion with SuperFriend Paul Bateman about the short-lived TV series Space 1999, but fewer will remember the brief mentions of the moon in some older clips from NEWS and HISTORY LESSON segments from seasons one and two. PLUS: JediShua and SuperFriend Tony Soehner tell about their experiences at Galaxy’s Edge.
Moon Moments Scouring the archives of TechnoRetro Dads for tidbits of moon news and history from seasons past resulted in some strange-sounding stories we had forgotten about — and even a couple of references to the Red Julius kiosk at the Mars Mall (maybe a few EarBuds will remember that reference). From staking claims on the moon to naming moon craters after your sweetheart, in retrospect, we may have discovered how some moon-based locations got their strange names: Mare Fecunditatis, Mount Marilyn, and Crater Joliot-Curie.
Moonbase Alpha: Space 1999 In this remastered flashback, Concept Artist, Art Director, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua on Moonbase Alpha to talk about Space: 1999, a British television series that lasted a brief two seasons from 1975 to 1977. From big budget beginnings and a great premise in the spirit of 2001: A Space Odyssey to a choppy second season resembling an homage to Star Trek, Space: 1999 is nevertheless an iconic must-see with its curious creatures, magnificent Moonbase Alpha, and classic crafts, the Eagles.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 15 July 2019
Huntsville, Alabama will celebrate the anniversary of putting the first men on the moon this Saturday — probably Houston and Cape Kennedy will too — but TechnoRetro Dads kick off the half-century celebration Monday morning with 77 minutes of lunacy as the 15th episode of the 7th season airs on the 15th day of the 7th month. The zaniness all started when JediShua’s doorbell rang as he was expecting a birthday present to arrive…
Science Lesson: Apollo 11 On 16 July 1969, a Saturn V rocket launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida at 9:32 AM, beginning the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Four days later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin successfully landed on the moon, putting an end to the “space race” between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. The world celebrated the landing confirmed by the immortalized words, “The Eagle has landed,” only to be surpassed by Neil Armstrong’s statement as he placed his footprint on the moon’s surface, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Although some still debate whether the moon landing was genuine or an elaborate hoax, the excitement of those watching and listening on July 20, 1969 briefly united the world as mankind reached their greatest height to date.
TechnoRetro Arcade: Lunar Lander Ten years after the first manned mission to the surface of the moon, Atari capitalized on the public’s continuing interest in the moon and space with the vector-graphic arcade game Lunar Lander. The original 1979 game was made of simple graphics constructed of white lines on a black background as players tried to land their lunar module on small, level sites on the surface of the moon before running out of fuel or crashing. Points are earned for each successful moon landing until the player’s supply of fuel or “lunar landers” are exhausted.
Saturday Mornings: Moon-Adjacent Cartoons In the ‘70s and ‘80s (even the ‘90s), lots of spacetastic cartoons (not necessarily moon-oriented). JediShua, shazbazzar, and Jovial Jay talk about Bravestarr, GoBots, Gilligan’s Planet, Space Cats, and Yogi’s Space Race. A live-action show called Far Out Space Nuts gets an honorable mention because of its relationship to Gilligan’s Planet (Bob Denver).
Let’s Go to the Moonvies: Apollo 13 Ron Howard’s film based on the third mission to put men on the moon is an amazing combination of historical facts and Hollywood effects that continues to stir the emotions of audiences today. The 1995 film is mostly faithful to the events that transpired before, during, and after the “successful failure” of the Apollo 13 mission of 1970 that prevented Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) from completing their mission and landing on the moon. SPOILER ALERT: Even though they didn’t land on the moon, these astronauts successfully returned to Earth after circling the moon. Also noted are other “moon landing” movies like First Man, The Right Stuff, and Airplane II: The Sequel.
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. |
Mon, 8 July 2019
Whether you’re returning from summer camp in hopes of a glorious reunion with your friends, coming home after a vacation at the beach, or just happy to be “Together Again” with your EarBuds after a week of fun and fireworks, shazbazzar and JediShua are serving up seventy-seven minutes of GenX news and discussion and large bowls of tasty cereal for your tum-tums on this Monday morning!
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster, Shane in GR does, too!
Let’s Go to the Movies: The Muppets Take Manhattan The summer of ’84 continues with cinematic hits like The Last Starfighter and The Muppets Take Manhattan. But 1979 isn’t without a notable movie from this week — The Frisco Kid may have been the last movie starring Harrison Ford that doesn’t focus on the Han Solo/Indiana Jones icon in its trailer.
TechnoRetro Arcade: The Last Starfighter JediShua asks which video games would make suitable trainers/testers for potential candidates to save the galaxy in an epic space battle as seen in The Last Starfighter.
Science Lesson Loads of cool, geeky stuff is going on in our world these days:
Feedback Swamp Angel sends in a message for JediShua.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 1 July 2019
Whether you’re celebrating Canada Day today or hurriedly getting work done in hopes of a four-day weekend beginning on the 4th of July, you’ve gotta make time for shazbazzar and JediShua before getting to work as the second half of 2019 begins. The TechnoRetro Dads have a summer-packed show to kick of the month of July with Bernie, Beach Boys, and big boomers!
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster, Shane in GR does, too!
Vinyl Scratchback: The Beach Boys Summer time is a funner time with music blaring from your boombox at the beach — as long as it’s beach music. And what could be more summer-centric than the tones of The Beach Boys? From wave-riding songs like “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfin’ USA” to cruising songs like “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “I Get Around”, The Beach Boys have been an integral part of summer. But boys will be boys, and therefore had to include songs about the girls like “California Girls” and the wistful “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. Rounding out the mix is their huge summer hit in the ‘80s called “Kokomo” (which, evidently, isn’t about white chocolate Coco Puffs).
Let’s Go To the Movies: Weekend at Bernie’s Richard and Larry discover a discrepancy in their company’s financial records that reveals more than a clerical error. To reward them for their diligence and vigilance in their work, their boss Bernie invites them to his beach house for the weekend — and plans to have them silenced…forever. But when Bernie gets on the wrong side of his nefarious partner-in-crime, the hitman is given a different target and the two young employees spend a wild weekend trying to conceal the fact that their boss is dead so that they can enjoy a well-earned weekend on the beach.
Fireworks! Pack black powder into a paper cylinder, set it aflame, and watch it smoke, skip, snake, skyrocket, or simply go “BOOM!” The first week of July is a great time for blowing things up at home, the beach, or dirt roads on the way back from another state with less-stringent laws regulating fireworks. The ‘Dads and several EarBuds recall their experiences with sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, and more as we celebrate national holidays this week.
Feedback: New Coke and the Cola Wars New Coke turned Jeremy into a Pepsi drinker. Norman speaks of the Cola Wars in coded speech. Myles can’t find New Coke in Canada and needs help.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 24 June 2019
Whether you’re looking for sunny days or a funny joke, you can “Catch the Wave” with the old New Coke (and catch up on some exciting news, reviews, and stand-up comedy even if you’re lying down. Where else can you get 77 minutes of foolish futility to kickstart your work week for zero dollars? You’re sure to get what you pay for on TechnoRetro Dads this week!
In the NEWS:
Star Wars Scrapbook Put down your Coca-Cola for a few minutes and listen to some EarBuds’ scrapbook entries as they go to Galaxy’s Edge (not as far, far away as you might have thought). Armando and Jack give their thoughts about Smuggler’s Run and more.
History Lesson: New Coke In the late ’70s and early ’80s we experienced Star Wars, the Cold War, and the Cola Wars. The Pepsi Challenge had evidently increased Pepsi’s market share of carbonated beverage business and Coca-Cola was feeling it in their wallet. With the popularity of diet drinks rising, Coke needed to do something to bring more bucks home. Brilliant minds came up with a solution: cease production of their hundred year-old formula and release a new recipe for the Coke brand with much more sugar and BOOM! New Coke was born. But long-time Coca-Cola drinkers didn’t appreciate the change to a more Pepsi-like taste. They wanted the classic taste back. Seventy-nine days later, Coke announced the original formula would return under the name Coca-Cola Classic and would exist alongside the new Coke (which would carry the Coke name). Eventually, demand (?) for New Coke waned enough to stop making it altogether — until now.
With the highly anticipated release of Stranger Things 3 coming to Netflix on July 4th, The Coca-Cola Company decided to rerelease New Coke for a limited run to coincide with the new season’s setting in 1985. Coca-Cola produced 500,000 cans of New Coke which has been available for the past three weeks, and shazbazzar and JediShua have gotten their hands on some. It’s time for a taste test, EarBuds. Can you guess the results? (Video available on YouTube.)
Vinyl Scratchback What did you do in the ‘80s when you had trouble going to sleep in a quiet room? Lie down and listen to stand-up comedy, of course! JediShua and shazbazzar (with input from EarBuds) remember some comedy albums they heard when they were younger. George Carlin, Robin Williams, Justin Wilson, Laurel & Hardy, Howie Mandel, Eddie Murphy, Sam Kinison, Gallagher, Cheech & Chong, and Steve Martin all make the list as we remember comedy on vinyl.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 17 June 2019
As the summer solstice approaches in the northern hemisphere with the longest daylight hours reaching their zenith, shazbazzar and JediShua remember the summers of ’79, ’84, and ’89 with four movies that impacted them in their youth and beyond. Tune in for 77 minutes of retro joy and techno hope with your EarBuds this Monday morning and get your week off (and summer) off to a great start!
In the NEWS:
We Love Our Cereal… …but the Roving Spoonster (Shane in GR) may well have surpassed us this week as he chronicles his experience at the Battle Creek, Michigan Cereal Fest. PLUS: John Schepler gives us a sneak peek at some new cereals in supermarket aisles and the ‘Dads give their takes on cereals they’ve tasted so far this summer (Fillows, Drumsticks, and Sour Patch Kids).
Let’s All Go to the Movies: Summer Movie Extravaganza Anniversaries abound this week with four flicks from our youth hitting 30, 35, and 40! JediShua and shazbazzar remember The Muppet Movie (1979), The Karate Kid (1984), Top Secret! (1984), and Batman (1989) with memories and interesting connections from actors and EarBuds in this banner week for fun summer movies.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com. Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic. 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. |
Mon, 10 June 2019
Dads come in all shapes, sizes, and colors (even blue), so shazbazzar and JediShua take time for some Dad-discussions about fictional fathers from Saturday morning cartoons to movies on the big screen with an extended chat about the father who assumed the title of Mom… Mr. Mom, that is.
Saturday Mornings For kids of the ‘70s and ‘80s, cartoon fathers were part of the cartoon watching experience. From shows that were #TechnoRetro in the ‘70s like The Flintstones and The Jetsons to The Smurfs, The Chipmunks, The Transformers, M.A.S.K., Dungeons & Dragons, and Ewoks, animated fathers and father-figures on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons took charge and taught lessons to the TechnoRetro Dads of today.
Let’s Go to the Movies With a bit more “techno” than there was in the Saturday Morning discussion, Father’s Day is a good time to look at memorable fathers on the big screen like cinema icons Mufasa and Darth Vader, respectable Henry Jones, Sr. and the President of the United States, heroic Chief Brody and Mr. Incredible, and homemakers like Mrs. Doubtfire. Dads can be funny and strong or scary and cuddly — in the end, these fathers are just like many dads today.
Mr. Mom Before he took on the Joker in Batman (1989), Michael Keaton battled the stench of diapers, the temptations of neighborhood wives, the public address systems of supermarkets, and the comfort of the couch in Mr. Mom. After losing his job, Jack Butler earned the title of Mr. Mom in this riotous comedy from 1983 as he made grilled cheese sandwiches with an iron, fed chili to a baby, competed in office olympics, and won his wife’s heart (again). JediShua and shazbazzar have a blast reliving the laughs this Father’s Day with Mr. Mom. Who says Dad can’t cook?
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Beware of Gremlins online when logging on to your favorite TechnoRetro websites on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, RetroZap.com or 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. |
Mon, 3 June 2019
Gremlins was on the marquis at theaters 35 years ago, but we all wanted a Mogwai in our rooms. “I promise,” we all begged, “I won’t feed it after midnight.” Nevertheless, Gizmo remained in our dreams and still looks the same even 35 years later.
In the NEWS:
We Love Our Cereal… …but we might like it more if it multiplied with popping-sweet goodness like Gremlins when you poured milk on it. New cereals like Drumstick Cereal and Fillows get our attention while pizza challenges cereal to a healthy breakfast showdown.
Saturday Morning Crush Mac from The Sandcrawler let us know about a Twitter thread about cartoon crushes and we discuss some possibilities. Several EarBuds get into the swing of things with their own suggestions, too. It begs the question: what will happen when the Gremlins cartoon comes out?
Gremlins Billy’s dad finds the perfect Christmas present for his son who works at the local bank: a Mogwai he found at a curiosity shop in Chinatown. But Gizmo, as he called him, comes with three important rules:
We all found out why these rules were so important in June 1984 when Steven Spielberg presented Gremlins, a horror/comedy that combined with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to bring about the PG-13 rating we have today.
Star Wars Scrapbook June has been a busy month since Star Wars hit theaters a week before. From Corvette Summer (1978) to comic adaptations and more, shazbazzar and JediShua talk about times they have filed away in the Star Wars Scrapbook.
Feedback Chris the Arvadinian chimes in on Tim Conway’s passing.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Beware of Gremlins online when logging on to your favorite TechnoRetro websites on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, RetroZap.com or 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. |
Mon, 27 May 2019
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:
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. |
Mon, 20 May 2019
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:
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. |
Tue, 14 May 2019
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.
|
Mon, 6 May 2019
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. |
Mon, 29 April 2019
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. |
Mon, 22 April 2019
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…
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. |
Mon, 8 April 2019
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:
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. |
Mon, 1 April 2019
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…
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. |
Mon, 25 March 2019
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
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. |
Mon, 18 March 2019
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
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. |
Mon, 11 March 2019
Try on your best Irish accent, fill up a bowl with beans (but not too full), and pull your flashy, splashy green suit out of the closet for next Sunday as shazbazzar and JediShua travel back and forth through time in TechnoRetro Dads.
We Love Our Cereal The Roving Spoonster finds places to eat cereal all round the United States while shazbazzar risks injury to his still recovering gums with a bowl of Cap’n Crunch’s Chocolatey Berry Crunch splashed with milk. A singular question arises: “How powerful are the Soggies?”
Saturday Mornings: Video Games Cartoons Sure, you remember Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. Super Show, but were you around when Pole Position seemed like Speed Racer and Knight Rider made a guest appearance on M.A.S.K.? Was the Legend of Zelda the adventure you craved? Maybe you’re one of several EarBuds who witnessed Kevin splash into the games like Flynn into TRON in Captain N: The Game Master. Whatever your interest, from cute to captivating, ‘80s and ‘90s Saturday mornings (and weekday afternoons) were able to capitalize on consumers’ interest in video games whenever and wherever possible. SuperFriends and EarBuds remember some shows that made a lasting impact on them back in the day.
Let’s All Go to the Movies: Splash Tom Hanks is rescued by Darryl Hannah as John Candy and Eugene Levy seek their own interests in this thirty-five year-old romantic comedy that had us rolling as kids and continues to provide a good time in Ron Howard’s Splash. This very well might have been your father’s The Little Mermaid if he was part of Generation X.
Star Wars Scrapbook In anticipation for the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, shazbazzar and JediShua cover what was happening in our galaxy this month in the ‘90s with the likes of Steroid Luke, Hahnold Swartzenegger, and Yoda Garcia and other memories from twelve to twenty-two years ago when Star Wars was making a big splash twenty to thirty years after its inception.
Feedback The EarBuds and RetroZappers are making their own splash on TechnoRetro Dads this week as Stuffedy tries to let us in on a free play point-and-click adventure online and Joey of the Animanicast finds his Indiana Jones role-playing game book as well as Palpatine and Shmi in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
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. |
Mon, 4 March 2019
Grab a pencil, paper, and some six-sided dice for High Adventure in the past, present, and future as the TechnoRetro Dads kick off the month of March with role-playing games, Star Wars Scrapbook, young Indiana Jones, news, Cereal Day, and ridiculous Dad jokes.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal JediShua prepares us for the upcoming Cereal Day later this week.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles What do Sean Patrick Flannery, George Hall, Corey Carrier, and Harrison Ford have in common? They all shared the small screen playing the same character in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. JediShua and shazbazzar share their thoughts on the series and bemoan the lost scenes from the original airing of the two-season television show from the early 1990s.
Game Master Day Today is Game Master Day, and whether you played Dungeons & Dragons, Star Frontiers, Palladian, Indiana Jones, Toon, or some other role playing game, it’s a great day to remember and recognize those game masters who kept the stories flowing in these imaginative games. Several EarBuds and SuperFriends chime in about their experiences with role playing games.
Star Wars Scrapbook In anticipation for the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, shazbazzar and JediShua cover what was happening in our galaxy as Star Wars hype began and the fascination with the franchise continued in the month of March.
Special thanks to High Adventure for use of their song “The Ballad of Indiana Jones” from their incredible Acoustic Prog Pop album.
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. |
Mon, 25 February 2019
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
We Love Our Cereal
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. |
Mon, 18 February 2019
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
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. |
Mon, 11 February 2019
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
…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. |
Mon, 4 February 2019
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
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. |
Mon, 28 January 2019
After you titillate your taste buds with a Cuppa Joe or some bubble-gum with a Bazooka Joe comic this morning, treat your ear buds with memories of G.I. Joe with Retro Joe Tavano on TechnoRetro Dads as shazbazzar and JediShua dig into the toys and cartoons of the ‘80s that made fighting Cobra fashionable.
In the NEWS
Saturday Mornings It’s been a while since the Daddio of RetroZap.com has been on TechnoRetro Dads, but SuperFriend Retro Joe Tavano joins shazbazzar and JediShua at the perfect time as we approach G.I. Joe Day this Friday, February 1st! Although Saturday mornings were not typically the time these weekday afternoon cartoons aired, memories of Duke, Flint, Scarlet, Lady Jaye, Mutt, Roadblock, and Snake Eyes are full of fun times, cool music, informative PSAs, and rockets. Hasbro’s marketing machine churned out a winner with this half-hour show featuring toys that were on shelves and pegs in stores across the nation when G.I. Joe made an epic return after some serious plastic surgery to reduce his size, making him more attractive to consumers in the 1980s.
Toys in the Attic: G.I. Joe Since the cartoon was invented as a launching platform for Hasbro’s redesigned G.I. Joe line, it only makes sense that shazbazzar, JediShua, and Retro Joe head up to the attic to see if their G.I. Joe figures have survived the test of time or if their internal organs have dried up due to age and they’ve fallen to pieces. We talk about the toys we had, the toys we played with, and the toys we wanted. From the Cobra H.I.S.S. to the Killer W.H.A.L.E. to the Defiant, we’re spanning a range of several years of prime G.I. Joe collecting.
Vinyl Scratchback Forty years ago, Chic returned to the number one spot on Billboard’s charts for a third time with their song “Le Freak”. The first song to top the charts three times, this disco ditty is an earworm almost everyone will remember.
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. |
Mon, 21 January 2019
When you want to make Monday mornings great again, you get some pretty strange looks and people start to ask questions like, “When were Monday mornings ever great?” While we may not be qualified to give documented histories about great Monday mornings, we do know where to get the answers to the tough questions. We call Chris Luby (the Specialist), cohost of The Geek State podcast and long-time SuperFriend for answers to life’s most challenging quandaries… “How does a vampire select his prey?” “What flavor are the red Funkos?” “Who composed the music for the top five vampire movies in 1979?” “Which version of Zelda best encapsulates the totality of Hyrule lore?” You’ll have to be the judge of how well Chris answers questions like these, even though we don’t dig that deeply ourselves, in this federal holiday Monday morning episode for January 21st.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and EarBuds do, too! Russ “Honey Buns” Doutt and RealtorAngie report on finding new cereals in the aisles of their local stores and even give a review of Honey Bun cereal for the insatiable appetites of cereal lovers everywhere. The Roving Spoonster warms up a story from Europe that has JediShua ready to let Dracula turn him into a vampire bat to cut back on the cost of flying overseas for a morning cup of coffee and cereal at Starbucks Europe.
SuperFriend Chris Luby After a prolonged absence from TechnoRetro Dads (and a hiatus from his own podcast, S’more Geeks), the Specialist Chris Luby returns with a brand-new show, The Geek State. Chris and cohost James take their podcast to the next level with a revamped and reimagined weekly podcast that keeps listeners attuned to the state of affairs in geek culture. Today, Chris shares his fondness for Funko Pops as well as Funkos cereal and even samples a box on the air. From Boba Fett to Elvira (is she a vampire?), Chris has become obsessed with the vinyl figures that fill store shelves in stores everywhere.
TechnoRetro Arcade Before the break of dawn signals all vampires to hurry home, Chris tours the TechnoRetro Arcade with shazbazzar and JediShua to play various Zelda games in the console room. Tune in for Hyrule-ing excitement in these adventure games by Nintendo.
Let’s All Go to the Movies: 1979 Vampire Movies Forty years ago, vampires were all the rage at the cinema as well as at the disco. From genuine horror flicks like Salem’s Lot and Nosferatu the Vampyre to the romance of Dracula to more humorous approaches like Nocturna and the fondly-remembered Love at First Bite, the ‘Dads give a brief overview of the bloodsucking box office of 1979.
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. |
Mon, 14 January 2019
The adventure continues whether you’re turning back and forth through the pages of a book, making decisions digitally, or playing with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys from the ‘80s on TechnoRetro Dads — this week with a Big Honkin’ dose of Steve Glosson from Geek Out Loud.
In the NEWS
Toys in the Attic SuperFriend Steve Glosson joins shazbazzar and JediShua in the attic to play with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys by Mattel from the 1980s. These action figures were a huge departure from the popularity of the incredibly successful 3 3/4” action figures from Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and of course G.I. Joe. Beginning with several characters, a couple of vehicles, a non-articulated green tiger, and a large castle playset, the Masters of the Universe toys
Saturday Mornings: Black Mirror “Bandersnatch” JediShua and shazbazzar remember the fun of Choose Your Own Adventure books when they check out the latest Netflix addition to the Black Mirror series, “Bandersnatch”. This dark, weird interactive movie allows viewers to choose the actions of an on-screen character to determine the plot and end of the movie. “Bandersnatch” is a quality first effort at merging game books with digital technology for an effective Choose Your Own Adventure experience. Definitely for “mature audiences”, the back-and-forth feel of this movie is a genuine throwback to the joy of reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. Perhaps more of these will be created soon. Maybe bring in some of our favorite franchises like G.I. Joe, Transformers, or even He-Man. The possibilities are only limited by imaginations at this point.
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. |
Mon, 7 January 2019
The last year of the twenty-teens begins with an amazing blend of new and old with feedback from EarBuds, new TV shows focusing on ‘80s culture, AI reminiscent of HAL from 2001, boxes of cerealicious breakfast food, and new video games in a classic style.
Feedback Discover the intrinsic relationship between Speak & Spell and the Little Professor. TRON goes X-Wing thanks to Mark Ham All. Mark Hamill jokes about Joker cereal. Several EarBuds chime in with fond memories from 2018, ranging from Solo to Spider-Man to Pac-Man to chicken walkers to vacations in O’Lando.
In the NEWS The International Space Station has a floating half-spherical artificial intelligence who behaves like a toddler. Thankfully, it’s named CIMON and not HAL, and “Daisy” doesn’t seem to be on its playlist. The ‘80s get turned upside-down again this year on July 4th when Stranger Things 3 shows up on Netflix. Speaking of sequels, They Live may finally have one in the works according to John Carpenter. Python Michael Palin is to be honored by the British Crown this year and gain the knightly honorific, “Sir”. We think he maybe knighted at sunset.
We Love Our Cereal… …and the pics we’re getting from EarBuds! From exciting wall decor in the image of favorite retro cereal mascots to boxes of marshmallowy grandeur to stockings backed by boxes of favorite cereals, there are bowls and bowls of breakfasts just waiting to be poured over milk. Suddenly, our bowls overflow with reports from the Roving Spoonster: new GM cereals hitting shelves, Netflix goes viral with a cereal question, a principal feeds kids over the holidays with gift boxes of…yep — cereal! Still, some cereal aficionados might give the rest of us a bad name; specifically with frivolous lawsuits.
TechnoRetro Arcade The Super NES game console was Nintendo’s 16-bit submission to the home video game market. SNES and Sega Genesis battled head-to-head thirty years ago for a bigger piece of the pixelated pie. With Street Fighter II and Donkey Kong Country, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was popular with gamers of all ages, even as the 32-bit systems came into the market.
Toys in the Attic If you ventured into Walmart anytime during the past couple months, you may have noticed some larger than desktop sized arcade games featuring side art and classic marquees reminiscent of the mid-eighties with Pac-Man, Galaga, Rampage, Centipede, and more. A new retro idea — 3/4 scaled arcade games — hit the pallets in November and continue making their way out retail stores even today. With a $300 price tag, these aren’t cheap , but they might just satisfy your craving for a bit of the old arcade in a corner of your office.
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. |
Mon, 24 December 2018
The gifts are all purchased and wrapped, the food is mostly prepared (to be further prepared), the bags are packed for the trip to Gramma’s, and everything is ready for Christmas. But don’t discount the joy of pre-Christmas hype on Christmas Eve. Join shazbazzar and JediShua for a final 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro in 2018.
We Love Our Cereal… …and so do our EarBuds. On Christmas Eve, the kids are already excited and might get up before Mom and Dad are ready to take on the day. What are parents to do when the kids are up at 5 AM and really hungry? Direct them to the cereal shelf in the pantry with a bowl, a spoon, and milk, and tell them to make their favorite Christmas Eve combination of cereals and watch cartoons.
TechnoRetro Arcade Remember when you played last year’s Christmas gift (Atari, Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation, Game Cube, etc.) on Christmas Eve to get your mind off what might possibly be under the tree in the morning? JediShua and shazbazzar take a peek back at several video games with snow themes and snow screens that are perfect for a “Sleigh Ride” with “Jingle Bells”.
EarBuds Toy Catalog: Mixed Bag The results of the fourth bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in and some of the retro toys challenge the newer products. From Speak and Spell to Whirly-Wheels, from Bop-Bags to Magic 8-Balls, the toys are as hot as Hot Wheels, bigger than Micro Machines, springier than a Slinky, and less talkative than Teddy Ruxpin. Remember, even though it’s Christmas Eve, it’s never too late to give hints to loved ones. Maybe you’ll get your winner tomorrow morning. Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! We’ll be back next year, but if you’re looking for more content before then, check out some older episodes 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. |
Sat, 22 December 2018
UnScrooged is what the Doctor would prescribe (if only he knew about it) for relief from holiday anxiety, reversing persistent frowns, rejuvenating old bones and muscles, and reviving memory centers. This special 99-minute bonus episode is the longest UnScrooged to date, and perhaps the most potent. You need to take a full dose today -- repeat as necessary during the winter holidays this year and every year. There is no expiration date.
WARNING A full dose of UnScrooged 2018 will likely cause some, if not all, of these side effects:
If these symptoms are present in yourself or a loved one, do not panic -- simply help them find favorite toys, take them to a real video arcade, and encourage them to sing on key. Who knows? Maybe your loved one will be featured on a talent-seeking reality show and win a million dollar contract!
SuperFriends in UnScrooged 2018
|
Mon, 17 December 2018
Yule love this week’s show, even if you’re a Humbug! Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol takes on an eighties upgrade with Bill Murray and Bobcat Goldthwait in Scrooged. Don’t wait for three ghosts to make you regret your choices today — tune in to TechnoRetro Dads early this morning, share, and enjoy all the fun and fandom with family, friends, and EarBuds for 77 minutes.
We Love Our Cereal… …and the cereal companies like special cereals for Christmas. From the Cronut creator’s Christmas Morning Cereal to Lucky Charms Chocolatey Winter Cereal to Strawberry Krispies, the seasonal flavors are ready to be enjoyed by the spoonful (#ChillYourBowl). Perhaps the reason Ebenezar Scrooge was so grumpy is the notable lack of Christmas cereal in his day.
TechnoRetro Arcade Our super-sized celebration of Superman’s 40th (80th) anniversary last week left out a very important element: video games. Superman’s video game debut was for the Atari 2600 console in the 1979 super-pixillated classic Superman. Six years later, Superman: The Game (see what they did there?) was released for home computers. To provide picky, pestering Scrooges with something worthy of complaint, the NES Superman game only had a vague resemblance to Superman in 1988. That same year, a full-sized arcade version of the Man of Steel was released by Taito. Best of all, the ultimate Superman video game has yet to arrive!
Scrooged Frank Cross (Bill Murray), a television network executive with more dollars than sensitivity, faces a long night of regrets, repentance, and redemption with visits from three time-traveling ghosts. It’s A Christmas Carol for the ‘80s with a healthy, heaping spoonful of meta as life and fiction intersect on a live broadcast that’s likely to reduce at least one of the ‘Dads to tears — like, Niagara Falls!
EarBuds Toy Catalog: Creative Toys The results of the third bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in as retrotastic toys that engaged the mind in creative ways went head-to-head in physics, chemistry, and engineering matchups that challenge the brain, hands, and eyes. Knobby flat screens like Etch A Sketch faced the colorful three-dimensional Tinker Toys. Artistic minds that need to knead found fun in yellow cans of Play-Doh as the modeling compound squared off against another drawing toy — Magnadoodle. Tune in to see who won!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! While you’re waiting for this year’s UnScrooged, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, 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. |
Mon, 10 December 2018
Faster than shazbazzar driving through Atlanta. More powerful than JediShua’s art pen. Look! There, up in the sky, it’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Superman! Standing for truth, justice, and the American Way, Superman continues to inspire the best in people — at least the 1978 version of Superman does.
Feedback EarBuds both new and old (experienced?) send in their feedback to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com with comments and questions about TRON, animated giant robots in Force Five, and a discovery about JediShua’s weekly introduction.
EarBuds Toy Catalog: Action Figures The results of the second bracket of the EarBuds Toy Catalog are in as four sets of “action figures” of times past go head-to-head against each other (via EarBuds’ voting). Madballs, Micronauts, Mego Superheroes, and Mattel’s He-Man and She-Ra lines face off for the EarBuds’ favorite. With many more participants this week, the challenge was more intense. Find out if the ‘70s or ‘80s take the prize in this episode! Sadly, the Mego Superheroes (including Superman) didn’t make it very far in this round, but you can always be a part of the brackets as these rounds continue over the next two weeks. Keep checking various social media outlets for updates and ways you can vote for your favorite toys in the EarBuds Toy Catalog contest.
Superman (the Movie) Christopher Reeve filled out the blue spandex (“That is one bad outfit!”) in 1978 as Superman is pitted against arch villain Lex Luthor in a real estate scuffle that brings out the best in Clark Kent. Standing for truth, justice, and the American Way, the orphan from Krypton becomes the altruistic hero we all love as he saves the day for Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and everyone else in California when Otisville nearly becomes a reality.
Vinyl Scratchback: Superman Soundtrack The score for Superman helped make this movie iconic, branding Superman with the John Williams theme that can be recognized almost anywhere — even when sung a bit off-key! In an era when disco was driving everyone wild, another orchestral score turned out to be a hit among movie goers.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! While you’re watching Superman, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, 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. |
Mon, 3 December 2018
It’s been over a week since Thanksgiving, and we’ve just awakened from the full-belly naps we’ve enjoyed over the holidays. As college football season closes and anticipation arises for upcoming bowl games (Outback Bowl in Tampa, anyone?), the season’s greetings turn towards trees, snowmen, reindeer, and Santa Claus! Don’t worry, we’re sure that Ernest Saves Christmas just in time (like he has for the past three decades). In the NEWS Looks like there’s something strange in the neighborhood for the third time according to Dan Aykroyd. Ghostbusters 3 is confirmed to be a sequel to the original Ghostbusters movies from the ‘80s. Great news! Sadly, however, Bikini Bottom mourns the loss of SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg who ended his fight with ALS. He was 57.
EarBuds Toy Catalog: Games The results of the first category of the EarBuds Toy Catalog brackets are in as four games of times past go head-to-head against each other (via EarBuds’ voting). Hungry Hungry Hippos, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship, and the Nintendo Entertainment System face off for the EarBuds’ favorite. Perhaps the ultimate winner isn’t all that unexpected. But you can always be a part of the brackets as these rounds continue over the next two weeks. Keep checking various social media outlets for updates and ways you can vote for your favorite toys in the EarBuds Toy Catalog contest.
SuperFriend Hunter Wahl Laika’s newest addition to their amazing stop-motion features is coming this April, and SuperFriend Hunter Wahl joins us to tell us about the movie and gives us insight into behind-the-scenes activities that go into making a stop-motion feature in the 21st Century. Missing Link will premier on April 12th of next year and we’re excited to see this movie.
Ernest Saves Christmas Hunter (who was, at least in part, raised by a TechnoRetro Dad) sticks around for some fun chatter about Ernest Saves Christmas as Ernest P. Worrell helps Santa fulfill his mission to pass the torch (or magic sack) to the next Santa to carry on the tradition and ensure that Christmas continues. Ernest Saves Christmas turns 30 this year as the iconic ‘80s character invented and portrayed by Jim Varney appears in what some consider his best movie role.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! While you’re watching Ernest Saves Christmas, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, 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. |
Mon, 19 November 2018
Thanksgiving is a time to remember and confess the things for which we are thankful, and thankfully, you’re still listening to TechnoRetro Dads even after this past Saturday’s Holiday Special! Thanks for tuning in, EarBuds! There’s enough in this episode for a full meal with leftovers to boot. In the NEWS It’s Thanksgiving week, so don’t forget to defrost that turkey NOW! Laika discovers the Missing Link in an upcoming film (Hunter, one of JediShua’s former students, worked on this movie). Fettmatic on Discord spotted the animated Dungeons & Dragons characters in maquette form through Iron Studios. Jim Henson’s Christmas specials (Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas and The Bells of Fraggle Rock) are coming to theaters in December.
We Love Our Cereal… …even if the Golden Girls cereals are never gold. Funko announces more colors for their very popular offering coming soon. The Roving Spoonster (Shane in GR) has more bowls of cereal news this week, too!
TechnoRetro Arcade Hunters and gamers could find common ground on Thanksgiving in 1984 with Nintendo’s release of Duck Hunt in arcades and at home. An effective light-sensing zapper allows players to shoot digital ducks and pixelated clay pigeons on CRT monitors in a fun (and sometimes frustrating) game that everyone can play. However, the dog can be a jerk.
Thanksgiving Television From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning to the holiday specials (nope, not that Holiday Special — see last Saturday for that one), while Gramma works in the kitchen, the kids and dads watch TV with traditional programming that marks the fourth Thursday in November. Dallas and Detroit are sure to play and Bugs plays “Diet Doctor” in a Looney Tunes special.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, but when you’re out-of-town trying to get home to be with your loved ones and transportation problems threaten your relaxing holiday, you may have to team up with a stranger to make everything work out. Steve Martin and John Candy star in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a John Hughes film. Everyone has met “that guy” — just a common, ordinary guy who doesn’t seem to have everything figured out as much as he thinks he does. He means well and has a positive attitude, but his optimism doesn’t always work out. Settle down for raucous laughter with family and friends for a gut-busting good time this weekend with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, 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. |
Sat, 17 November 2018
Forty years ago today, 17 November 2018, The Star Wars Holiday Special aired for its one and only appearance on television. For years, fans have sought out black market copies of the program in order to see it for themselves. As for the TechnoRetro Dads, they have adored this heart-warming story for four decades.
Today, thanks to a discovery in Ralph McQuarrie’s personal items in 2012, shazbazzar and JediShua present a rendition of an early story treatment of the Star Wars Holiday Special as made available on StarWarsHolidaySpecial.com.
We hope you will share and enjoy this audio tribute to the “Could’ve Been but Wasn’t Actually the Star Wars Holiday Special”.
Special thanks to: High Adventure “Light the Sky on Fire” and “Happy Life Day” Supernova “Chewbacca” Donny & Marie Osmond Kevin Rubio TROOPS Battlestar Galactica CHipS Mork & Mindy Wheel of Fortune WKRP in Cincinnati
Starring:
|
Mon, 12 November 2018
Hobbits, a Dragon’s Lair, and The Lord of the Rings make for a great Dungeons & Dragons campaign in the ‘70s and ‘80s as shazbazzar and JediShua take a trip back 40 years (and more) into the past for this episode of TechnoRetro Dads. Feedback From the Misfits of Science to pumpkins, from snowmen to bubblegum, and a brand new mini-store from the people who brought us Toys ‘R’ Us — several EarBuds send pics and electronic-Ms about several things we’ve been talking about (and should be talking about).
The Lord of the Rings (1978) Animator Ralph Bakshi committed J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to film in 1978 with a combination of animation styles from traditional cels to rotoscoping to make a very ‘70s movie that challenged young viewers and made an imprint on impressionable young minds. Even Peter Jackson was not immune to the magic of Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings, evident in his 2001 version of the first third of the story with scenes derived from this mind-blowing masterpiece that kept kids coming back for more.
Vinyl Scratchback When JediShua introduced shazbazzar to “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”, the younger ‘Dad sought out more music from Leonard Nimoy, and shazbazzar discovered the album Spaced Out featuring Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. With original songs and covers of popular tunes, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock got groovy in the late ‘60s with an album that boldly went where no record had gone before.
TechnoRetro Arcade Sword and sorcery continue in the arcade with the impressive and challenging Don Bluth cartoon video game Dragon’s Lair. For only two quarters, gamers could control Dirk the Daring in his quest to rescue Princess Daphne from the Dragon’s Lair.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, vote in the EarBuds Christmas bracket, 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. |
Mon, 5 November 2018
The pumpkins have fallen out of fashion, Christmas commercials invaded televisions the day after Halloween, the smell of peppermint is in the air, and it won’t be long before there’s enough snow on the ground to build a snowman. Do you want to? You know… build a snowman?
In the NEWS A YouTube channel has compiled “all” Ready Player One references in one gigantic video list. You can soon build your own virtual reality bedroom (Ready Player One style) will memorabilia, movies, TV shows, and even classic video games! Beetlejuice is now a musical stage production on its way to Broadway.
TechnoRetro Arcade Star Wars landed on home game consoles everywhere in 1982 with the release of The Empire Strikes Back, a scrolling shooter that pitted players’ snowspeeders against AT-ATs on the march towards Echo Base. The low-resolution game (hey, it was 1982) did not diminish game play in the least. The walkers looked like walkers. The snowspeeder looked like a snowspeeder. The snow-covered terrain looked like snow-covered terrain. And the FORCE… Well, it was multicolored flashing and had cool music. The Empire Strikes Back on Atari may not have been “winnable”, but it sure did provide hours of fun reliving the “Battle in the Snow”.
Saturday Mornings In 1985, Bill Watterson brought the dark imagination of a small boy to life in the funny papers under the title Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin, a bright, energetic, and playful boy, teamed up with his striped friend Hobbes to remake the world as they wanted it to be. From transmogrification to snowmen in somewhat disturbing positions, Calvin and Hobbes kept parents on their toes as the pair (?) delivered joy to newspaper subscribers every day as the paperboy completed his neighborhood route. JediShua and shazbazzar recall some memorable “snowman” strips from the ‘80s and ‘90s. (Thanks for the idea, Russ!)
They Live Evil-Lynn returns from Masters of the Universe to fill her role in this John Carpenter film from thirty years ago. They Live is a creepy look at ‘80s culture through the eyes of the filmmaker as Carpenter warns his audience of the dangers lurking beneath the surface in our capitalistic economy. But theater-goers weren’t as interested in the underlying message of the director (who claimed the film is a documentary), they just wanted to be entertained by the likes of pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. From muscles to mullet to mouthing-off, Roddy Piper drew in audiences to see this sci-fi thriller about friendship, aliens, magic glasses, and street brawling. Featuring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster, They Live is an essential part of ‘80s pop culture.
Feedback
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Mon, 29 October 2018
He’s the ghost with the most: a moldy, decaying, concoction of phlegm and philandery who is eager to help rid your home of those pesky living people who can make your death a living hell. Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Beetlejuice in the 1988 film rapidly became a staple of late ‘80s pop culture and continues to be recognized today. From the film to television to the toy aisles, Beetlejuice wormed his way into our homes and lives in one way or another (or all three). In the NEWS Warner Brothers cuts Six Billion Dollars in upgrades as the anticipated and updated Steve Austin movie gets yanked from their release schedule. News from Thra continues to enthrall fans of The Dark Crystal as producers confirm that the upcoming Netflix series will be free from computer generated effects. That galaxy far, far away draws ever nearer as China plans to build an artificial moon (“That’s no moon.”) and NASA floats the concept of Cloud City on Venus in future plans. Christmas presents are already being anticipated with Target’s Big Book, an announcement about a Toys ‘R’ Us reemergence, and a Kurt Russell Christmas movie. There is a lot to talk about in the world of #TechnoRetro goodness!
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster has bowls full of sweet breakfast goodies to share with a unique cereal cup, Golden Girls cereal, a Canadian pop-up cereal cafe, and the first Christmas-based cereal to hit store shelves.
Beetlejuice Tim Burton’s 1988 Halloweenish movie (released in March of that year) introduced movie-goers to a disgusting and deadly creature from the other side who enjoys scaring the life out of the living in Beetlejuice. Stinky, filthy, and foul-mouthed, Beetlejuice specializes in his own brand of haunting in this unique and oddly funny addition to the ever-growing library of movies you might enjoy around Halloween. If you’ve never seen Beetlejuice, take a trip down to your local video rental store and grab a VHS for viewing this Wednesday. Parental guidance definitely suggested.
Saturday Mornings From the silver screen to the small screen, kids could get in on the fun of Beetlejuice in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, too. The animated version of the green-haired weirdo from who-knows-when engaged younger viewers who may have missed the Michael Keaton version when they turned on their TVs on Saturday mornings. Voiced by Stephen Ouimette, the titular antagonizer isn’t quite as villainous as his live-action counterpart, but the grodinous of the character isn’t a far cry from the 1988 version.
Toys in the Attic Not enough Beetlejuice for you, EarBuds? Perhaps you remember the action figures that featured Beetlejuice in various outfits from the film as well as his “friends” in the netherworld. From film to television to plastic, Beetlejuice continued to entice the unsuspecting world to call out his name three times so he could wreak havoc on the land of the living.
Feedback We’re able to dip into the mail bag for some great pics of Jack o’ Lanterns created by our EarBuds. You can view them on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Mon, 22 October 2018
Dungeons & Dragons was part of every GenXer’s experience growing up, whether they played the game or not. From the “Satanic Panic” to the toys, magazines, and cartoon, D&D prevailed in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Even today, as comic book stores and specialty shops host in-house role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons continues to be an important part of pop culture. This week, shazbazzar and JediShua invite SuperFriend Michael Witwer to talk about Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana, his second publication centered around this “Daddy of Modern Gaming”.
Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana Co-authored by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, and Sam Witwer, this oversized hardcover focuses on the artwork essential to understanding a game that was often played with little more than a pencil, some paper, strangely-shaped dice, and a lot of imagination. Yet, as the book’s subtitle proclaims, this 400+ page tome is more than a high-quality art book, it is indeed a Visual History of the game itself as well as its impact on the culture of the ‘70s and ‘80s and even today. The history of the game and its various editions runs throughout the course of the book, as original artwork from the ‘70s to the ‘10s fills every page in brilliant, full color reproductions. From artwork created for the game itself to images surrounding the game, such as actual advertisements and flyers, photographs of items that inspired aspects of the game, and even early drafts and sketches of the game’s most memorable features, Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana is a treasure worthy of the adventure — and it’s available for purchase tomorrow. Join shazbazzar and JediShua as they talk to co-author Michael Witwer about the contents of the book, its origins, and general discussion about Dungeons & Dragons itself. TechnoRetro Dads recommend not only the book itself, but (if you can get a copy, the Special Edition of the book with some great ephemera for those with a penchant for history and rarities of days gone by). You’ll love Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana — and we hope you enjoy this episode of TechnoRetro Dads, too.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t get burned by missing a single episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Wed, 17 October 2018
The winds and rains ceased, but the trees kept tumbling down after Hurricane Michael pounded the SouthEast last week, but even with the lights out, shazbazzar got his MacGyver on by fashioning a light from a pumpkin, a candle, and a knife. Discover more about October Oddities and a classic ‘80s TV show on this “better late than never” episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS
October Oddity: Jack o’ Lanterns From the Irish folk tales of “Stingy Jack” to front porch adornments, Jack o’ Lanterns have a rich history that will surely surprise you.
Halloween Candy With the ingenuity of MacGyver, Jack o’ Lanterns were transformed from actual pumpkins with carved faces with lights inside into plastic buckets for carrying candy for Trick or Treaters. JediShua and shazbazzar remember some of the popular candies from the ‘80s to warm up your sweet tooth and get you ready for the upcoming holiday.
MacGyver “The Secret of Parker House” The secret agent with an engineer’s mind solved problems each week on MacGyver for seven seasons from the ‘80s to the ‘90s. Thirty years ago, MacGyver aired a spooky episode for Halloween with mystery, music, intrigue, and a skeleton. How will Angus “Mac” MacGyver save Penny from certain doom? Find out as we spoil the ending of “The Secret of Parker House”.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t let the ghosts of the ‘70s and ‘80s fade from your memory by missing an episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Mon, 8 October 2018
Whether you need something to pick up your spirits or make ghosts float, the hair-raising spookiness of this week’s TechnoRetro Dads will possess you with urges for cereal and cartoons, snack cakes and TV shows, toys, games, and even more canned laughter. Cover your eyes and plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and the ‘Dads will heighten your October outlook with fun and frights (and few insights) this morning or tonight.
In the NEWS Star Wars is all over the news this week and it looks like TechnoRetro Dads are the last to cover it when it’s actually new. Besides Star Wars Reads Month, the ‘Dads speculate on rumors surrounding The Mandalorian, a live-action series helmed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s part in the series (of course, since recording this episode, much more information has been forthcoming). But not all the news is old Star Wars news. Oh, no! EarBud T-Bird provides even older news for the ‘Dads with 3500 year-old ingredients for pumpkin spice (or is it purple-yam pie spice?). Now that’s news!
We Love Our Cereal… …and the Roving Spoonster loves fruity-shaped Trix coming back some twenty years after being discontinued, JediShua loves looking for Elvira cereal by Funko, and shazbazzar loves getting visions of ghosts from his past upon seeing a picture of a box of OJ cereal.
October Oddity: Pop-Culture Ghosts Although their presence is sensed throughout the year, our cultural fascination with ghosts only increases during the month of October. People love getting spooked by the idea of discorporate beings floating around to advise, prank, or otherwise involve themselves in the daily lives of the living. JediShua and shazbazzar remember some pop-culture ghosts from their childhood. Strangely, the ghosts of Poltergeist and Ob-Wan from The Empire Strikes Back didn’t jump out at them. It’s at times like these when there’s something strange in TechnoRetro minds that you just ask yourself, “Who am I gonna call?”
TechnoRetro Arcade In 1988, Capcom released the third arcade game in the Ghosts ’n Goblins series of games, Ghouls ’n Ghosts. Arthur the knight must once again rescue his sweetheart Princess Prin Prin from the clutches of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and other inhabitants of the Great Demon World Village. This time, Arthur’s abilities increase as do the opponents who attack him from the underworld and the damage they can inflict if he doesn’t DUCK!
Saturday Mornings When the world outside your window is just a bit too normal on a Saturday morning, you could embrace the paranormal with The Real Ghostbusters, the animated version of the characters introduced in the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. Egon, Venkman, Ray, and Winston are joined by Slimer and a host of other ghosts in every episode of The Real Ghostbusters were gleefully welcomed to the televisions of kids in the mid-eighties to early-nineties.
Toys in the Attic Not only did The Real Ghostbusters find their place on the small screen during this time, but they graced the pegs and shelves of toy stores and toy boxes in kids’ rooms everywhere. Like many movies and TV shows of the time (Star Wars, Transformers, G.I. Joe), The Real Ghostbusters seized the opportunity to turn plastic ghosts into profits with Kenner figures that enabled kids to continue the adventures of Slimer, Ray, Winston, Peter, and Egon as they interact with the paranormal in an effort to protect the public (for a fee, of course).
Feedback EarBuds submit questions, ideas, and memories through electronic-M, Twitter, and Discord about a variety of techno and retro topics.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t let the ghosts of the ‘70s and ‘80s fade from your memory by missing an episode of TechnoRetro Dads — subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Mon, 1 October 2018
Welcome to October, EarBuds! Pass through the creaky garden gate and step cautiously as you wind your way along the weedy cobblestone path. Once you’ve passed under the schpooky tree from whence Gramma gained her schtick, step up on the porch and open the door to our haunted house party for a month of creepy-crawly kooky fun. Only 30 days ’til Hallowe’en!
In the NEWS Star Wars is all over the news this week as Gary Kurtz is fondly remembered by family, friends, and fans alike. From American Graffiti to Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back to The Dark Crystal, Gary Kurtz produced many great memories of our childhood. Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge is garnering attention as the countdown to the launch of “Star Wars Land” continues. Luke Skywalker dons the garb of a Knight Templar in the History Channel’s Knightfall.
We Love Our Cereal… …and some cereal would be right at home in the pantry of any reputable haunted house. In addition to the annual appearance of General Mills’ Monster Cereals, Reese’s Puffs adds some seasonal spice to its appearance with Reese’s Puffs Bats. The Roving Spoonster keeps us updated on the cereal trademark controversy Down Under as a judgment is made in the Weet-Bix vs Weetabix conundrum plaguing Australasia in New Zealand.
October Oddity: Haunted House All month, the ‘Dads will talk about the marks of the Hallowe’en (Halloween) season with their memories of the traditional fare that can send chills up your spine and warm your heart at the same time. This week, we dare to journey into a haunted house (or two, or three, or…) from the ‘80s when everyone paid to be afraid. Whether your experience was in a mall or storefront location, a dilapidated old house or building, an amusement park or carnival ride, or even out in the woods, the Haunted House continues to be an iconic part of October.
TechnoRetro Arcade Atari gathered their pixels to join this haunted house party, too, with their Adventure-like maze/puzzle cartridge for the Atari 2600, Haunted House. This game program features four floors of fun (?) for gamers who move their square eyes around in the dark to find Mr. Graves’ urn so they can escape his haunted house. Watch out for ghosts, bats, and spiders in this confusing and challenging game from 1982.
Toys in the Attic Finally, shazbazzar and JediShua tone down the scare factor just a tad with miniature versions of the haunted house. From the Weebles Haunted House to Colorforms Castle Dracula to Ideal’s Haunted House game and Disney’s Haunted Mansion Game, these plastic, vinyl, and cardboard toys and games are not for those easily frightened by glowing ghosts, hooting owls, or wobbly witches. Oh, and don’t forgey Remco’s Mini-Monsters!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t be afraid of missing an episode of spooky and kooky trips to the ‘70s and ‘80s — subscribe to TechoRetro Dads on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. 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. |
Mon, 24 September 2018
Now that Autumn has fallen upon us, you’re permitted to savor the flavor of the season — so grab a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Frosted Flakes and settle in for 77 minutes of fun in past, present, and future tense on this episode of TechnoRetro Dads (where time-traveling takes a clever and curious turn in the 1984 sci-fi spoof Ice Pirates).
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal… …and cereal flavored donuts from a certain fast food chain. Yep, shazbazzar taste-tests the Froot Loops mini donuts from Hardees and the results are in! The Roving Spoonster reports with monstrous cereal/adult beverage mash-ups and Kellogg’s acknowledgement and correction to their sexist marketing. PLUS: EarBuds tell about what’s in their cereal aisles and JediShua discovers the next fall flavor trend at Cereal Box, Inc. Of course, the discussion deteriorates into the scourge of the season, pumpkin spice, with a few undocumented “memories” of how the flavor imbedded itself into pop-culture over the decades on TV, radio, and the big screen.
Ice Pirates In the far flung reaches of outer space in a distant future, a band of private entrepreneurs embark on a quest to open convenient $2 ice shacks along the space lanes in Ice Pirates. Actually, no, that’s not the plot of the campy Stewart Raffill flick from 1984 that continues the trend of pushing the limits of what audiences will pay for at the box office on the heels of Return of the Jedi. Starring Robert Urich, Mary Crosby, Michael D. Roberts, and more familiar faces from the mid-80s, Ice Pirates threatens to raid your freezer while pillaging your wallet to cash in on the continuing craze for space-movies combined with a taste of Police Academy comedy. SuperFriend Adam O’Brien (The Fantha from Down Under) joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a chat about Ice Pirates with some stunning revelations about how the movie came to be the campy ‘80s spoof we remember from childhood. Can you believe that Ice Pirates was initially slated to be a serious attempt at a science fiction film? Find out how and why the script was altered to become classic camp that still elicits a laugh with its illicit humor aimed squarely at teenage boys in 1984. Target acquired: it’s a hit!
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Keep sailing the high seas (and space lanes) with Ice Pirates and share us with your friends and families. 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. |
Mon, 17 September 2018
Chris Hamilton kicks off this Monday morning with a little ditty called, “Mamma’s in the Minivan” from his Boogie Child album. And that’s just the beginning of the insanity this week, since "Talk Like a Pirate Day” is coming up Wednesday and the ‘Dads are already getting into the spirit of things by stealing several minutes from this week’s show in their high seas hijinks! Whether you feel like Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook, or Captain Power, you’re sure to feel the waves breaking the ocean of the internet with this very odd episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS Henry Cavill gets an opportunity to continue being the villain with rumors that his cape has been torn away from him as Superman stands to be recast. Jonathan Clark (no, shaz, not the one from Man of Steel) gets down to boogie with other retro celebrities on Dancing with the Stars. Sir Paul McCartney churns out yet another album with Egypt Station. Nerdist suggests a fun drink for your Monster Cereal Tiki cups.
We Love Our Cereal… …and young Oliver does, too! However, both the ‘Dads and the Roving Spoonster question this youth’s taste in cereals. But that’s not the big cereal news this week. Nope. The big news is that Oliver found an eight inch bran flake in his cereal box! Huge.
TechnoRetro Arcade Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a blend of ‘80s TV show, action figures and toys, and interactive video game. One of several “blast the screen” interactive games that gained some popularity in the mid- to late-eighties, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future merged live-action television with electronic plug-in gaming for additional excitement for your Saturday mornings. Thanks to Jedi Holmes for introducing us to this one!
Feedback Derek (Raising Fangirls) remembers NFL Quarterback Club for Nintendo64. Jorbex rebukes us for not remembering “Weird” Al Yankovic’s UHF. Kendall remembers the local UHF channel. Fettmatic, Jorbex, and Joey all chime in with their lunch box memories.
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 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. |
Mon, 10 September 2018
Are you ready for some football? Ready or not, the football season has arrived. As tonight marks the beginning of Monday Night Football, shazbazzar and JediShua are dealing with all sorts of activities surrounding and honoring the festivity of the oblong ball. So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds for 77 minutes of joyful reminiscing and hopeful anticipation of some of the funner things in life.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal…
TechnoRetro Arcade When video games mimic actual sports and games the results could be good or bad. If the game play is similar enough to the real thing, sports fans may love it…but geeky gamers may not. However, if the game fails to closely resemble the actual sport, fans may reject the game but gamers may love the concept. With a variety of Football video games in arcades and home consoles in the ‘70s and ‘80s the hits and misses are to be expected, but the value of nostalgia — that’s where the magic happens!
Saturday Morning Fall ushers in school, football, and new seasons and series on television. JediShua and shazbazzar take a look back at the big three networks’ fall lineup on Saturday mornings thirty years ago.
Toys in the Attic Non-Expanding Recreational Foam doesn’t sound like a great toy at first, but when it’s pronounced “NERF” you know that fun is the game. Created by Parker Brothers in 1969, NERF continues to thrill kids and adults with their made-for-indoor-play balls, darts, boomerangs, swords, and more. Of course, shazbazzar and JediShua kick off this discussion with NERF football, basketball, and bullets, but the stories continue with ping-pong, billiards, and other NERF products not everyone remembers. But everyone remembers the fun of NERF.
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.
Share and enjoy.
|
Mon, 3 September 2018
One of the greatest things about elementary school was the school cafeteria. The smells, the lighting, the squat milk cartons, and the sounds of metal lunchboxes opening somewhat simultaneously. As the latches released and the hinges creaked, the anticipation grew as kids looked inside to see what their moms had packed for them. Just wait till you see what the ‘Dads have packed into this episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS
We Love Our Cereal…
https://youtu.be/8GFeHrENnfQ School Lunch: Lunchboxes and Snack Cakes JediShua consumes the calories of some of the ‘Dads’ favorite snacks from their school days after discussing the history of lunchboxes (metal, vinyl, and plastic), their own lunchboxes, and the lunchboxes of several EarBuds. From Mickey Mouse to Hopalong Cassidy to Luke Skywalker and Luke Duke, the cafeteria was a funner place (yes, Shua said, “funner”) with the heavily decorated lunchboxes of days gone by. With input from Puddingsbane, Chris the Arvadinian, Jedi Holmes, Shane in GR, Courtney Martin, Joe Tavano, Fettmatic, Kendall Shroeder, and Bill from DorkLair, our virtual lunchboxes are filled with
Vinyl Scratchback This week in 1978 and 1988 had some memorable hits from Olivia Newton-John, Huey Lewis and the News, Robert Palmer, Whitney Houston, and George Michael. Both shazbazzar and JediShua show their knowledge and lack thereof regarding these artists, their songs, and the videos.
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.
Share and enjoy. |
Mon, 27 August 2018
After Star Wars thrilled audiences in theaters, everyone wanted to tap into the collective consciousness of pop culture that had embraced that galaxy far, far away. Some saw an opportunity to for storytelling in an exciting new way while others simply rushed out to cash in with anything somewhat similar to Star Wars. How Battle Beyond the Stars fits into those categories must be judged by the eye of the beholder, however, shazbazzar, JediShua, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman agree that without Star Wars, Battle Beyond the Stars would never have seen the light of day.
Battle Beyond the Stars On the surface, Battle Beyond the Stars is a fitting tribute to the popularity of Star Wars. A tyrant with a planet destroying “super-weapon” threatens to destroy Akir, a planet populated by peaceful folk with no weapons. A young “farm boy” named Shad (Richard Thomas) volunteers to find willing fighters for his aged mentor, the last Akira warrior (Jeff Corey) before Sador (John Saxon) returns. Add a rogue’s gallery of a space cowboy (George Peppard), a Valkyrie (Sybil Danning), a dangerous-looking creature (Morgan Woodward), a wealthy assassin (Robert Vaughn), five hive-minded clones (Earl Boen et al), and a beautiful love interest (Darlanne Fluegel) and you get a Magnificent Seven worthy of Kurosawa’s namesake.
Beyond the caricatures, names, and concepts similar to the original Star Wars (1977), Battle Beyond the Stars borrows heavily from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954). Those familiar with the origins of Star Wars will immediately recognize that George Lucas based his initial space opera on The Hidden Fortress (1958), another Kurosawa film. In this regard, Battle Beyond the Stars delves deeply into the planetary crust in this spacey adaptation of a Star Wars influence.
Share and enjoy this special episode of TechnoRetro Dads as Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a fun, loving, and fun-loving look back at Battle Beyond the Stars. |
Mon, 20 August 2018
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. |
Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast
Categories
generalpodcast
Star Wars Celebration
TechnoRetro
TechnoRetro Dads
Holiday Special
TechnoRetro Kids
Awesome Mix
Lazy Book Club
Music Special
National Holiday
TechnoRetro Road Trip
Talk Like a Pirate Day
Special Edition
Pumpkin Spice
Enjoy Stuff
Archives
SeptemberAugust
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | |||||
Syndication
