The Flopcast

It's our goofy anniversary show, as Kevin and Kornflake celebrate seven years of The Flopcast! Yes, we've released a Flopcast every single week since May 2012, because clearly there is something wrong with us. Join us as we run through some fascinating Flopcast stats! (Have we done more Top 4 1/2 Lists or Chickens in the News? Stuff this very important information into your brain.) We also look at the top ten countries, and the top ten US states, for Flopcast downloads. (They're still ignoring us in North Dakota, probably because of our controversial statements about their founder, Jeremiah Bismarck.) Also: It's Stephen Colbert's birthday (and we still miss the Dana Carvey Show), we try to escape from an escape room (with no help from Rupert Holmes), and we're preparing for our God's Comics reunion concert. We hope to see you there. It's May 25th in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it'll be almost as ridiculous as listening to this show for seven years.

Kevin and the Mayor road trip down to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for an evening of science and silliness with George Hrab and the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. (We assumed Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey would meet us in Bethlehem... but we had a lot of growing up to do.) Meanwhile Kornflake checks out an online concert by our favorite sci-fi pop band, the future of the future, The Fantastic Plastics. And we're trying to figure out if Kornflake was ever married to Billy Joel. We may be right, and she may be crazy.

Time for another Top 4 1/2 List, and the subject this week is... wonder. (Why yes, we are out of ideas, how could you tell?) Our list of favorite wonder stuff includes some obvious picks like Wonder Woman and Stevie Wonder... but things get weirder as we explore puppet dune buggies, songs we hate, robot bears, robot girls, and Space Monkey Gleek's tricky pals. It's a wonderful list, as the ghost of Jimmy Stewart would say, if he weren't busy haunting an abandoned textile mill in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Also: National Superhero Day, fun with old calculators, and some hot Tick talk.

After slacking off through the miserable winter, we attempt to catch up with TWO Kornflake on the Road segments. First Kornflake visits a beachside coffee shop and returns with a bag of mysterious prizes. Then Kornflake joins Kevin and the Mayor at a crowded Boston bar for a surprise show by our favorite synthpop band, Freezepop! (Spotted in the Freezepop crowd: talkative strangers, science fiction convention costumers, and geese.) Next in a round of Capes or Apes, we meet some adventurous Irish chimpanzees. And we're celebrating English Muffin Day. Yeah, we're out of control.

While Kornflake's away, Kevin and the Mayor discuss a recent stand-up comedy show from Saturday Night Live veterans Jon Lovitz (Tonto!), Tim Meadows (The Ladies Man!), and Chris Kattan (Mango!). 'Twas a fun show, especially the opening set by a friend of the Flopcast, TV Guidance Counselor's Ken Reid. And we were inspired to recall all the times we've previously encountered SNL cast members. Including: A long ago stand-up set from Dana Carvey, a powerful one-woman show from Julia Sweeney, and a goofy evening with Adam Sandler (plus a surprise appearance by Rob Schneider). There have been about 150 SNL cast members, and our personal SNL life list stands at just sixteen, so there is much work to be done. (The search for Melanie Hutsell begins tomorrow...) Meanwhile, Kevin also attended a new show called The Buy Me Boston Video Loft, a fascinating evening of rare Boston-area video clips from decades past. A 1970s kids show, a 1980s high school rap video, a punk rock fashion show, a cable access dance show... it was all just magnificent. There's also a Buy Me Boston book, filled with amazing old newspaper ads. And as you may have noticed, we sort of enjoy weird old stuff.

Two more concert reports this week: First 80s pop star Taylor Dayne came to town, and we told it to her heart, proved our love, and didn't rush her. We also read her new autobiography, so we're bursting with fun Taylor facts, only some of which involve shady Russian nightclubs and wolves. Next KISS brought their big goofy rock show to Boston, and we were there, hoping to see Fake Gene Simmons riding the subway, which we did. Also: A freak grocery store incident leads to a frank discussion of The Difference Between Kevin and Kornflake. But more importantly, Draw a Bird Day is this week. Please have your hand turkeys and your foot chickens ready to go.

Here's our big silly report from Northeast Comic Con in exotic Boxborough, Massachusetts! Featuring: Rubber Chicken Comics, Lost in Space's Mark Goddard, weird comedy from Mark Gallagher, kaiju rock from Gwello, chicken songs from The Fools, and Cesar Romero rumors from Gilbert Gottfried! Then it's time for another round of Capes or Apes, in which we flip through an old Spider Woman comic book and check out the ads for Cracker Jack, Atari, and Blip magazine. We're also celebrating the birthday of our favorite Russian doll, Natasha Lyonne, and exposing her secret connection to Wooly Willy. And we have a big announcement about a rare (as in once a decade) live show from Kevin's band! (No, not that band. The other one.) Save the date (May 25th), hitchhike to Massachusetts, and join us. Bring Bubble Yum.

Just a couple of quick items this week: A Monkees concert report and a Captain Marvel movie report. Reaching our beloved Monkees (Mike and Micky) involved a long perilous ferry ride to Long Island; 'twas about an hour at sea, and we'll never be the same. Getting to the movie was simpler, but we're still waiting to see the real Captain Marvel on the big screen. No, not Shazam. We mean the 1960s alien robot whose head and limbs pop off. Look it up, and get on that, Hollywood. Also discussed: Davey and Goliath, Russian Doll, Richard Marx, REO Speedwagon, Alan Arkin, and NerdBliss. All packed into one silly half hour show, because we value your time, if not ours.

Kornflake braved the subzero temperatures of winter in Minnesota, and now she's back with her annual report from MarsCon! It's the science fiction convention that also has a whole track of comedy music, and this year's performers included old and new Flopcast friends like Insane Ian, Cutesylvania, TV's Kyle and Linzilla, Power Salad, the great Luke Ski, Devo Spice, Jeff Whitmire, Michael Hunter, Carrie Dahlby, the Library Bards, and more! Plus: Airport security adventures, vermin at the Mall of America, Dementia Smackdown wrestling, the Logan Awards, scary Klingon drinks, scary Ikea breakfasts, a million mustaches, and of course, Kornflake's Dementia Water Aerobics. In the Upper Midwest, they fight the cold with silliness, and it works.

Here we go, kids! Time to flip though another goofy old issue of Dynamite magazine! (It's a Flopcast tradition, especially when we have to wait until next week for Kornflake's MarsCon report.) This is a 1978 Dynamite, and the cover story is, "The Bee Gees vs. The Beatles: Who's the Greatest?" Our answer is The Bay City Rollers, which is why no one asked us. Also featured in this issue: Tatum O'Neal makes a horse movie; another lame trick from Magic Wanda; amazing new ways to watch TV (cable, video tape recorders, and something called Qube); Dynamite Bummers; and some Bic pen scribbles that make us question the puzzle-solving ability of our magazine's previous owner. Plus: Find Flopcast personnel on recent episodes of The Batcave Podcast, The Watch-A-Thon of Rassilon, and Earth Station One... and Happy Birthday to Erik Estrada. Or nada. Your choice.