The Flopcast

Kevin and Kornflake take a break from their seemingly nonstop convention and concert schedule, and enjoy a miserably hot summer day in Chickentown, where the iced coffee is their only friend. This week's topics include: giant rodents; angry pies; the Rifftrax Live version of Sharknado (featuring our hero, Robbie Rist); Kevin's all-time favorite summer movies (featuring our other heroes, Cindy Morgan and Chris Makepeace); a mysterious gift from a random elevator guy (also featuring Chris Makepeace); Kornflake's cooking class experience (featuring scary doppelgangers); and how to accidentally get married, sitcom-style. Enjoy! (This is a short one, kids. Our coffee cubes were melting.)

This week we're joined by the Mayor of Chickentown to discuss our weekend at CONvergence in Bloomington, Minnesota! A few thousand of our fellow geeks (including our friends from Skepchick and Mad Art Lab) gathered there for four days of science and silliness. Kevin appeared on a few nerdy comic book-themed panels, while the Mayor participated in a Doctor Who improv game show (which also included author Paul Cornell and comedian Joseph Scrimshaw, so you know, no pressure). We also found mermaids in the hotel pool, ran into a Starfleet-uniformed Sleestak, learned way too much about Rebecca Watson's cats, and discovered that yes, the floor is lava. Meanwhile back in Chickentown: Kornflake is celebrating Hammock Day (which involves a lot of frantic, intense relaxing), and our latest concert report will have you dancing on the ceiling with your favorite clay head. Hello.

Kevin and Kornflake are finally back in Chickentown, gulping down iced coffee and looking back at last month's awesome funny music convention, FumpFest. Topics include: Kevin's weird pre-FumpFest activities (involving gangsters, Gorf, and a triple dog dare), Kornflake's breakfast with Doctor Demento (do NOT try the fish heads at the buffet), the Logan Awards for Excellence in Comedy Music ('twas a clean sweep for the Bay City Rollers, at least in our dreams), more Dementia Smackdown Wrestling and last-minute Dementia Water Aerobics, Italian food prepared by a Kryptonian monkey, and a big glass of Smogberry Stout. You'll also hear the first ever "Bad Flopport of Destiny" triple-podcast, our exclusive interview with ShoEboX of the comedy synth punk band Worm Quartet (also featuring Doornail, the great Luke Ski, and Chris of Power Salad), and Kornflake's FumpFest-themed Top 4 1/2 List. Also: The recommended dress for this week's National Whatever Day is very, very casual.

Kornflake has a touch of FumpFest con crud, and Kevin is leaving for yet another convention (that'd be CONvergence in Minnesota)... which means you're not getting a regular Flopcast this week. But worry not, true believers -- here's something special we've been saving for you. Last year at DragonCon, Kevin was on a panel called the Super Vehicle Showdown -- an imaginary tournament of classic movie and TV vehicles (such as KITT, the Batmobile, and the General Lee). Also on the panel: Michael Gordon, Van Allen Plexico, Gary Mitchel, and Joe Crowe (plus a roomful of crazy people). This was already one of the silliest panels ever... and then it devolved, Dr. Zaius-style, into something way sillier. Stick around for... Monkeys vs. Minions. And Kornflake fans -- you WILL hear Kornflake this week too, despite our doctor's recommendations. (Our doctor is a rubber chicken, and we usually just ignore it.)

Despite the pleas of terrified citizens everywhere, it finally happened: The Flopcast LIVE! June 22, in Wheeling, Illinois, Kevin and Kornflake were onstage at FumpFest, a convention dedicated to funny music (and also, apparently, goofy podcasts). In front of a captive audience (oh yes, we locked the doors), we presented National Whatever Day (which may have involved eating an escalator), Chickens in the News (a special Chicago-themed edition), and What's in the Bag (really just an excuse to throw stuff at people). Joining us onstage were special guests Chris of Power Salad, the great Luke Ski, and of course, Doornail. (Guess which one of our special guests giggled nonstop and fell on the floor?) Then stay tuned for a post-show bonus clip: our friend Dan Hart, also live onstage at FumpFest, performing during Dr. Demento's Festival of Dementia! Now excuse us; we have to go backstage to meet and greet a bunch of stupid radio contest winners.

By the time you're reading this, Kevin and Kornflake will be in Chicago for FumpFest! But here's the last show we recorded before surrendering the studio to a big angry yak, so it could do its own podcast, which is called "Yak Talk." But we digress. This week on The Flopcast: For National Catfish Day, Kornflake teaches us something weird about catfish; then in our "Chickens in the News" segment, we learn something weird about chickens (but less weird than the catfish thing). We also look forward to CONvergence, which is happening 4th of July weekend in Minneapolis! Kevin will be on panels discussing important stuff like Batman comics; the Skepchicks will teach us about science, bugs, and licking things; and if that doesn't sound geeky enough, we might even run into Counselor Deanna Troi.

Kevin and Kornflake celebrate National Splurge Day by arming dogs and chickens with credit cards and setting them loose in the mall; the Kids in the Hall are back, and they're still crushing your head; because we're paranoid and insane, we argue against recycling your 3-D glasses at the movies; we review this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and present our annual rant about who should have been inducted (What about Martika? And Charo? And Kaptain Kool and the Kongs?); and we end the show with a very mysterious trip into the Pudding Pages.

Kevin and Kornflake prepare to run screaming out of Chickentown, because it's almost time for FumpFest! This is a comedy music convention, so we'll be hanging out with all our demented friends (such as Insane Ian, Power Salad, Dan Hart, Carrie Dahlby, Luke Ski, Devo Spice, Worm Quartet...), plus a bunch of silly performers we'll be meeting for the first time. (Hopefully our beards of bees will make a positive first impression.) FumpFest also has the Logan Awards (for excellence in comedy music), live onstage podcasts (including The Flopcast!), Dementia Smackdown Wrestling (time for Kornflake to defend her title), and... DOCTOR DEMENTO! So yikes, kids, get yourselves to Wheeling, Illinois, June 20-22, for FumpFest! Bring a duck, perhaps.

Kevin has a startling Sleestak correction; Kornflake has a startling book about lobsters; we report on concerts featuring The Monkees, Freezepop, and The Somerville Ukulele Club; our tales of getting lost in Chinatown include junior high kids loaded with fireworks, and the search for a lifetime supply of fortune cookies; and our "Chickens in the News" segment has us staring right into those creepy chicken eyes. Also: We're using Skype this week, which has Kornflake (and her dog!) dancing on the ceiling through the whole show.

Here's an odd little show for you -- Kornflake suggested a Top 4 1/2 List of hairdos! Of course this means a trip back to the 70s and 80s (not exactly unfamiliar territory for The Flopcast), when hair was big and/or crazy, and threatened to destroy us all. We'll look at New wave singers, cartoon bears, Mr. T (but of course)... and the horrifying hair history of the Brady family. We also turn to Siri for some answers, and learn that some robots just can't take a compliment.