This week The Con Men kick things off with collector talk and Transformers: The Movie nostalgia before tumbling headfirst into a discovery: 1986 might be one of the most stacked pop-culture years ever.

From childhood-defining movies to “it was on HBO every weekend so we watched it 400 times,” we break down the difference between true classics and nostalgia classics — and accidentally map out future commentary and deep-dive content for the year.

We also talk con season kickoff energy, upcoming shows, fandom aging alongside franchises, and why sometimes you go into new entries of your favorite franchises wanting to love them… even when they make it difficult.

Plus:

• Convention season preview

• Guest excitement and circuit planning

• Star Wars and franchise fatigue vs franchise love

• The ongoing dream (and threat?) of Century Con

• The shocking low cost of buying our loyalty (breadsticks negotiable)