The Flopcast

Another convention report, from the new spring edition of Super Megafest! Featuring pirates, Ghostbusters, Bigfoot hunters, Mr. T, Wicked Geeky costumers, a Niki Luparelli concert, a CHiPs reunion, Supergirl's Helen Slater, Soap's Katherine Helmond, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes, a kilt-free Rowdy Roddy Piper, and an alligator on the loose! Plus: A quick detour into Harvard Square for a live edition of TV Guidance Counselor with Ken Reid, Eugene Mirman (from Bob's Burgers), and Jon Glaser (from the Slipnutz)! Also: Bird Day is this week. Happy Bird Day to you.

It's been too long since we presented a good old fashioned ridiculous Flopcast Top 4 1/2 List... and so this week, we bring you a Betty list. (Hey, we take that "ridiculous" part pretty seriously.) We're listing our favorite Betty cartoon characters (from the Stone Age and beyond), our favorite (and least favorite) Betty songs, our favorite Golden Girl (of course), and many more. Whether you're looking for a 1950s pin-up model or a big box of cake mix, you could probably use a Betty, and here they are. (But if we missed your favorite Betty, please let us know. This is very, very important.) Also: This week's National Whatever Day reveals a shocking secret about one of the stars of The Big Bang Theory! (Not really, but we're trying to trick everyone into listening.)

Our report from the South Coast Toy and Comic Show includes: silly cat comics; a very tempting Monster Squad board game; the stars of Buck Rogers, Clerks, and The Last Dragon; and our dream of unleashing the New England Brethren of Pirates on Fish Island. Also: comedian Marc Maron (whose podcast is arguably even more popular than this one), DNA Day (celebrate by running up and down a spiral staircase), and another "Chickens in the News" story (which is eerily similar to our last "Chickens in the News" story). As the old saying goes, this show is more fun than pouring hot coffee on a snowbank.

According to the Elders, it's time to celebrate 75 years of Captain Marvel! Yes, young Billy Batson has been screaming "Shazam!" and fighting crime (and Superman's lawyers) as Captain Marvel since 1940. This week we'll look at the comic books, the movie serials, the cartoons, and of course, the live action Saturday morning TV series from Filmation (from which we learned that driving around in a Winnebago looking for troubled teens is not NECESSARILY creepy). Along the way we'll meet Mary Marvel (Billy's surprise twin sister!), Captain Marvel Junior (who was a huge influence on Elvis Presley, believe it or not), a talking tiger, an evil worm, and maybe even Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. We'll learn about the weird 1960s version of Captain Marvel, who could separate his head and limbs from his torso. (Then again, everyone could probably do that, at least once.) We'll learn how to stop your city from being buried in strawberry Jell-O. (Folks, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when.) And we'll learn why we should get totally liquored up for the Shazam movie. (Just don't tell those pesky Elders.) Also: National Whatever Day, Super Megafest, and the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. That should keep you busy until the evil Dr. Sivana destroys us all.

Kevin and Kornflake are finally back in Chickentown, just in time for Jackie Chan Day. (We're celebrating by doing our own stunt work throughout the entire podcast.) This week: An 80s-themed concert report, featuring Katrina (without the Waves) and Howard Jones (with a keytar); reviews of comics we found at the Rhode Island Independent Publishing Expo (featuring birthday clowns, giant sandwiches, and city chickens); Kornflake's new job (inspired by Janet from Three's Company, of course); and a "Chickens in the News" story from Athens, Georgia, where a giant metal rooster is on the loose.

Still live from Minnesota, it's the shocking conclusion of our MarsCon coverage! We thought we'd end the convention by stuffing a bunch of crazy people into a hotel room. We did it for science. Joining us were: Blasted Bill, Ed, Bob, Tony Goldmark, Break Man Z, Mr. Tuesday, Angela, Jared, the great Luke Ski, and Carrie Dahlby! Discussion topics include: Dementia Track concerts by Luke, TV's Kyle and Lindzilla, Power Salad, Tony, and Rob Paravonian; Kornflake's shiny new lobster songs; The Sponge Awareness Foundation's tired old School House Rock medley; Blasted Bill's Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume; bellydancing vs. wrestling; and how Bon Jovi wants to be the air for you. Then it's time for THREE rounds of "What's in the Bag," featuring: weird items requested by Kornflake from the Pod of Destiny, a weird TV dinner from Bob, and weird cookies from Break Man Z for our annual MarsCon taste test. (Perhaps the weirdest thing is that, by Flopcast standards, this was a pretty normal weekend in Minnesota.)

Live from Minnesota, our MarsCon coverage continues! First Kevin and Kornflake are joined by Ed, the other half of The Sponge Awareness Foundation! (We get Ed's first impressions of the insanity that is MarsCon, and we learn the final fate of the tuba from the previous night's SAF concert.) Next we meet a couple of actual Klingons, from the long-running Klingon group that hosts the most notorious party at MarsCon every year! Finally we spend some time with MarsCon Dementia Guest of Honor Rob Paravonian! Rob talks about the New York comedy scene, his love of The Monkees and Family Ties, and working with the legendary George Carlin. And hang on -- we'll have more from MarsCon next week! (Warning: It just gets weirder.)

Kevin and Kornflake have always secretly dreamed of being Match Game host Gene Rayburn. (Don't pretend you haven't too, you weirdo.) And so for our live version of The Flopcast at MarsCon last week, we decided to play "The Flop Game"! We don't have Charles Nelson Reilly, but we do have a celebrity panel of some of our favorite comedy musicians: the great Luke Ski, Tony Goldmark, Devo Spice, ShoEboX of Worm Quartet, TV's Kyle, Lindsay (aka Lindzilla), DJ Particle, and Rob Paravonian! We have prizes ranging in quality from "pretty good" to "incredibly stupid"! And of course, for players, we have the craziest people in Minnesota -- the MarsCon attendees. (Warning: Weird chanting and random singalongs break out frequently.) We assure you, a silly time was had by all... and you can take that to the BLANK.

Kevin and Kornflake are far from Chickentown Studios this week, because it's time for MarsCon! So instead of a regular show, here's something special we've been saving for you. A few months back, while Kornflake was out of town (or so we thought), Kevin and the great Luke Ski spent an hour or so listing their Top 4 1/2 live action characters of the 1980s! Not just any old fictional characters from TV or movies -- we're talking about the larger-than-life cartoonish characters who walked among us in the real world. (So Beetlejuice, for example, would not qualify, but Pee Wee Herman would.) That was our wacky premise, and what fun we had. (If we missed your favorite 80s character, please let us know!) And hey, Kornflake is here too, with a National Whatever Day for Friday the 13th! (It isn't scary, but it is, of course, kind of weird.)

The Mayor of Chickentown reports on the Gallifrey One convention (where she met a Doctor Who-themed Muppet) and Rebecca Watson's Quiz-o-Tron (where Mike Phirman had to count his chickens); during an impromptu Top 4 1/2 List of frozen foods, we vaguely recall Hot Bites, Otter Pops, and horrifying school lunches; Howard Jones is coming, and we're walking on sunshine, Katrina-style; and we reveal some of the shiny new items we're bringing to MarsCon next week. (If you've always dreamed of owning a "You Love The Flopcast" badge ribbon... this is your big chance.)