The Flopcast

Kevin and Kornflake are back from Northeast Comic Con, where they found Muppet choirs, Rubber Chicken Comics, the Lost in Space chariot, and some of our favorite costumers (including Cosplay Dad, RW Martin as Indiana Jones, and Brandon the Shapeshifter as Thundarr the Barbarian). And the convention's Saturday night concert featured Tsunami of Sound, The Lights Out, Draco and the Malfoys, Loose Salute, Sam Mulligan, a Walton (Jon Walmsley), a Blackheart (Ricky Byrd), and yes, a Monkee (Micky Dolenz)! 'Twas a long show; we're still sleepy. Also from Northeast Comic Con, we have a Flopcast interview with the original Captain America (from way back in 1979), Reb Brown! (Did we mostly ask about Reb's appearance on The Facts of Life? What do you think?) Plus: The Mayor of Chickentown makes her Earth Station One podcast debut, we unveil our new Flopcast convention badge ribbons, and Kornflake is still obsessed with popsicles.

Kevin and Kornflake want you to celebrate National Selfie Day, especially if you're a macaque; we creep down to the rock clubs of Providence, Rhode Island in search of Mongoose Molly; we have a new movie review, all thanks to a power outage; and we look ahead at CONvergence (4th of July weekend in Bloomington, Minnesota), featuring meteorites, owls, Martians, Joseph Scrimshaw, the Skepchick Space Lab, and Kevin's big chance to mansplain Supergirl. Also, yes, Kornflake and Doornail invented a new fun beverage. The secret ingredients are vodka and vodka.

Kevin and Kornflake are talking music again this week, following a concert by 80s legends Cyndi Lauper and Boy George. It's been over thirty years since Cyndi conquered the world of pop music, with a little help from The Hooters, The Goonies, and Rowdy Roddy Piper. These days she takes an occasional detour into country music, but she still just wants to have fun, and most importantly, her hair is as big and crazy as ever. Meanwhile, Boy George is armed with a huge amazing backup band, and still delivers all the Culture Club hits you never admitted you loved so much. Friends, it's time to give "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" another chance. It's also time for some "Chickens in the News" from the other side of the world: New Zealand, once thought to be solely populated by sheep and hobbits, is actually being terrorized by drunk roosters. Really. And Nature Photography Day is this week too, so go creep around outside and try to get a picture of a karma chameleon.

The Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake for a very special Flopcast celebrating fifty years of The Monkees! We discuss our earliest memories of the TV show (from reruns on a Boston UHF station in the 70s), recall our earliest Monkees album purchases (horribly scratched vinyl from yard sales, also in the 70s), and look at each individual Monkee. Peter had the serious folk music background and the super-silly TV persona; Micky was the former child star (with a baby elephant!), destined to be the lead singer and drummer by default; Mike had Nashville-style musical aspirations and a hat; and Davy had stars in his eyes, plus a date with Marcia Brady. We also recall seeing The Monkees in concert on their various reunion tours over the last thirty years, including this year's 50th anniversary tour. (You'd better get ready -- they may be coming to your town.) And then there's the remarkable new Monkees album Good Times! (Do not miss the "She Makes Me Laugh" video, featuring 1960s Monkees comic book art!) We're also looking forward to Northeast Comic Con (June 18-19), featuring stars from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Affair, Captain America (1979 version), and more! Plus nerd comedy with Mark Gallagher, music from The Lights Out, and hey, MICKY DOLENZ! (Want to meet a Monkee? Be there!) And although we've never seen The Monkees' freaky 1968 movie Head at a drive-in, we're still celebrating Drive-In Movie Day, and you should too. Don't forget to visit the snack bar, and try the clam cakes.

Kids, this week we're talking about snakes. (Blame our tricky pal Matt, who suggested another weird Top 4 1/2 List...) Whether you're totally creeped out by snakes (a touch of ophidiophobia, perhaps), or you like them creeping all over you (Jake "The Snake" Roberts could help with that), you cannot deny that snakes are everywhere. (Samuel Jackson might not be happy about it, but these days he's so busy with the Avengers... and hey, the Avengers have snake troubles of their own, thanks to the Serpent Society...) So we're listing our favorite snakes, from goofy old horror movies, sitcoms, cartoons, and maybe even Paula Abdul songs. Slither on over and join us! Bring macaroons.

As summertime approaches here in Chickentown, Kevin and Kornflake are back on the iced coffee, featuring our beloved coffee cubes! (Coffee cubes are like Time for Timer's "Sunshine on a Stick," but without the toothpicks, and you use coffee instead of orange juice. We'll send you the recipe.) This week Kevin has a couple of concert reports, as Ben Folds and yMusic rock Boston (with a bass clarinet!), and Freezepop returns to Harvard Square (with a bunch of keytars, of course). And by the way, there are just a few days left in Freezepop's Kickstarter campaign! Send them your human money, and you might even get a Fluff sandwich in return. Also: Kornflake cannot avoid the Red Arrow Diner (which is not a problem), we celebrate National Grape Popsicle Day, and we peek inside the old Flopcast mailbag. As one might assume, it's filled with lobsters and skinks.

Another superhero anniversary is upon us, as Green Arrow turns 75 this year! So we're looking back at the long crazy history of our favorite comic book archer (sorry, Hawkeye). We recall how Green Arrow totally ripped off Batman (Arrow Car, Arrow Cave, kid sidekick...), his Justice League induction (because Superman and Wonder Woman would be helpless without a bow & arrow dude), his one true love (Black Canary, of course), his 1970s Mego doll (good luck not losing that tiny bow), and most importantly, his weird little goatee. Green Arrow made just one TV appearance during his first sixty years; apparently he was just an adequate friend, because the Super Friends never invited him back. But in recent years, he has popped up in multiple cartoons, as well as Smallville, and of course, his current hit TV series Arrow. (They dropped the "Green" for the show's title, probably to get an earlier listing in the phone book.) But Green Arrow isn't the only comic book subject in this week's show, as we also look at Long Distance, a romantic comedy (in graphic novel format) by Thom Zahler. And in honor of National Piercing Day, we recall how a quarter century ago, we were all freaked out by Jane Child. Plus: Kevin and Kornflake reveal their own archery experience (or lack thereof), and design their own trick arrows. (You know you want a rubber chicken arrow.)

In honor of National Night Shift Workers Day, we're completely exhausted! But we still manage to creep up to Lowell to see Gunpowder Gelatine and Aerochix (covering the music of Queen and Aerosmith, respectively); we return to the Triiibe exhibit at the Fitchburg Art Museum, and do not get trapped in the basement (trust us, it can happen); a visit to Maine features one turkey, one whistle pig, and a billion lobsters; and a trip into the Pudding Pages reminds us of Funny Face drink mix, which was at once delightful and horrifying. Hey, as of this week, we've been Flopcasting for four years! We have almost paid our debt to society...

Last week Harvard University was invaded by Stormtroopers (and at least one Wookiee), possibly because Carrie Fisher was there receiving the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. We were there too, to cheer for our Princess, although our view was somewhat obstructed by a giant bird. (This was not a problem. We like giant birds.) And speaking of birds, did a chicken recently visit the White House, in the name of science? Find out in another ridiculous "Chickens in the News" segment. Also: National Two Different Colored Shoes Day is this week! But Kornflake, Doornail, and Tom Hanks started celebrating decades ago.

Can Kornflake see all the costumes, collectibles, and celebrity guests at Super Megafest in just ninety minutes, and not be late for karaoke? Let's find out. We did indeed find plenty of crazy characters there, including our friends from Rubber Chicken Comics and Wicked Geeky, costumer R. W. Martin (as Doc from The Love Boat!), and our old pal Mr. T. We also ran into stars like Lee Meriwether (Catwoman!), Michael Beck (The Warriors! And Xanadu!), and William Zabka (Cobra Kai!). And we even attended a Q&A session with Burt Reynolds, because we still have a lot to learn about early 80s mustaches. Also: Steve Martin and Martin Short (two amigos, approximately) come to Boston, Kornflake is the Chico DeBarge of poetry, and lobsters are the new cows.