Needless Things

Phantom Troublemaker, Beth V, Rad Ranger, and Derek Tatum talk about Halloween and spooky stuff! It’s a Needless Halloween! In this Very Special Episode the gang talks about the past, present, and future of Halloween and spooky stuff in general. From discovering the fun of spooky stuff to big dreams of horror-themed amusement parks, this is a fun ride through Halloweentown! Listen in as Phantom, B...

Phantom Troublemaker is joined by Beth V and by Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio to talk about found footage horror movies! Found footage is a movie subgenre that creates the illusion of discovered events unfolding as a narrative in front of the viewer. Classic examples of the format include The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and the much larger scale Cloverfield. It takes a lot of pla...

Phantom Troublemaker welcomes Mr. Beau Brown and puppeteer Gavin Cummins to the show to discuss the upcoming Halloween Puckin’ Fuppet Show , taking place at the Village theater in Atlanta on October 22nd! The Puckin’ Fuppet show is an Atlanta tradition that features live, adult-oriented puppetry in a theater setting. Phoenix puppeteer Gavin Cummins is this year’s special guest. He will perform two...

Part of an ongoing series – the Needless Things Irregulars gather in the Phantom Zone to provide their own unique commentary on classic genre films! John Carpenter’s The Thing set a new standard for horror films. Not recognized for the masterpiece it was upon its release in 1982, it has since been recognized as a high water mark of suspense and terror. The combination of actors, atmosphere, and Ro...

It’s a LIVE panel from Dragon Con 2016! A presentation of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track – Larry Hama answers questions about GI Joe, the universe, and everything! Larry Hama is the man that created identities for the characters of the 1980s iteration of GI Joe – the 3.75” Real American Hero line. He wrote the file cards for the entire toy line. Duke, Zartan, Roadblock, Cobra Commander and all...

It’s a LIVE panel from Dragon Con 2016! A presentation of the Horror Track - Phantom Troublemaker, authors Karen E. Taylor and Clay Gilbert , and Thomas Mariani from Horror News Radio discuss Stephen King's book and its various adaptations! Stephen King's The Shining is widely recognized as one of his most chilling and personal novels. Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation has often been acknowledged...

It’s a LIVE panel from Dragon Con 2016! A presentation of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track - Phantom Troublemaker, Rebeccah Hunter, Noel Wood, Sean Reid, Gary Mitchel, and members of the audience share Toy Stories! Tales of Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, and creepy 80s toys share the spotlight this time around. Also – will Joe Crowe arrive in time to show everyone his Big Jim or will Judge Rei...

On today’s episode Phantom Troublemaker and Mike Gordon file their after action reports for Dragon Con 2016! Mike Gordon ran his table for New Legend Productions , sat in on panels for with Earth Station One, Earth Station Who, and more, and established the first-ever Tiki Pop Phenomenon panel at Dragon Con! Featurng the likes of Derek Yaniger and Horror in Clay 's Jonathan Chaffin, this panel was...

EARLY EDITION! In order to bring you the final episode of Needless Things’ 2016 Dragon Con lead-ins before Con actually starts, we’re posting two days early! On today’s episode Phantom Troublemaker talks to Derek Tatum, Director of the Dragon Con Horror Track! For the first time ever, Phantom is working with the Horror Track in 2016! Since 2005 the Director, Derek, has been programming a mixture o...

2016 Dragon Con coverage continues! Phantom Troublemaker talks to Mr. Beau Brown, Director of the Dragon Con Puppetry Track! It’s been well established on Needless Things that puppetry is a universal language that can be appreciated by all. Every year at Dragon Con it is the mission of the Puppetry Track to speak that language to as many people as possible while entertaining and educating. Listen...

2016 Dragon Con coverage continues! Gary and Joe from the American Sci-Fi Classics Track return to the show! Plus a special segment with a whole other Gary; Gary Schaeffer updates us on the Outer Space Men toy line - a perfect fit for Sci-Fi Classics! Every year the American Sci-Fi Classics Track strives to provide the best and most engaging entertainment at Dragon Con. From fan panels to exciting...

2016 Dragon Con coverage begins here! Phantom Troublemaker talks to the Ambassador of Joy, puppeteer Joshua Holden! Two years ago performer and puppeteer Joshua Holden attended the National Puppet Slam and Dragon Con in Atlanta. His Con performance brought an entire ballroom of attendees to joyous tears and formed a special bond amongst all who were there to witness. If you’ve heard the term “wear...

It’s time once again for the Needless Things Irregulars to discuss all of the biggest movie and television dorkery to come out of San Diego Comic Con! Every year at Comic Con Hollywood busts out teasers, tidbits, and trailers for the biggest upcoming genre projects. This year was no different, with clips for Doctor Strange, Luke Cage, Wonder Woman, and even the forthcoming Justice League! All of t...

It’s time once again for the Needless Things Irregulars to look at the big toy news out of San Diego Comic Con! Every year at Comic Con the toy companies reveal some of the most exciting items that will be offered in the year to come. NECA, Mezco, Hasbro, Mattel, and more display the hottest toys from the biggest franchises. Listen in as Phantom, Head of Research Ryan, Belligerent Monkey Jay, and...

It’s time for the Needless Things Podcast to pay tribute to Phantom Troublemaker’s all-time favorite movie! In order to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Big Trouble in Little China Phantom Troublemaker hosted a special screening in the Phantom Zone, followed by a group discussion of the 1986 John Carpenter classic! Listen in as Phantom, Sean Reid, Arian, and Ryan Cadaver from The Casket Crea...

Thirty-two years after the original supernatural comedy made history and created a pop culture phenomenon, there’s an all-new Ghostbusters movie set to reignite the franchise! It’s time for the Needless Things Podcast to talk about the history of Ghostbusters! Phantom Troublemaker is joined by the RevCast ’s Gary Mitchel, Noel Wood from Dork Droppings , and Salena, the lady behind sexy horror host...

Phantom Troublemaker and Mike Gordon compare storytelling in animation versus live action! Over the years it has been every fan’s dream to see their favorite comic book characters adapted into cartoons; be they ongoing or feature-length. From there the next step was live action movies. Adapting original cartoons into live action movies has also been an exciting and anticipated development. To fans...

Phantom Troublemaker, Ryan Schweck, R.T. Ewell, and Mr. Beau Brown share memories of the entertainment powerhouse that was Nickelodeon in the 1980s! Nickelodeon was the first television channel for kids and it has a legacy of irreverent, thought-provoking programming going all the way back to 1980. Shows like Mr. Wizard's World and Standby: Lights, Camera, Action! Sought to educate kids about the...

LIVE in the Phantom Zone! Phantom Troublemaker is joined by Sean Reid,Mike Gordon, and Jason Frazier for a fun-filled sci-fi free-for-all! As often happens in the Phantom Zone, post-pay-per-view conversation turned towards pop culture nerd talk. Topics covered include the impending reboot of Stargate,the currently occurring (not that you’d know it) 50th anniversary of Star Trek, and more! Listen i...

Phantom Troublemaker talks to award-winning writer Bobby Nash ! Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, and short prose tales for a number of publishers and clients. Publishers including IDW, Sequential Pulp Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Random House, Moonstone Books, Airship 27 Productions, Pro Se Press, Raven’s Head Press, Stark Raving Press, Farragut Films, Dark Oak Press, Radio Archives, and more....

Phantom Troublemaker, Beth, Sean Reid, and Chris DePetrillo go back in time thirty years to talk about the pop culture of 1986! Needless Things has been looking at this magical year since Phantom’s birthday back in May. Now it’s time to round up some of the Needless Things Irregulars for a special “Best Of 1986” edition of the podcast! From toys to movies to music, 1986 was a banner year in pop cu...

PhantomTroublemaker talks to screenwriter, producer, and story editor JohnSemper, Jr.! Spider-Man:The Animated Seriesis one of the most beloved adaptations of the adventures of MarvelComics’ most famous superhero. John Semper was the showrunner forthe duration of the series’ run and was nominated for an AnnieAward for his episode “Day of the Chameleon”. In 2004 he wasnominated for a Daytime Emmy f...

PhantomTroublemaker, Beth, and Chad J. Shonk discuss Marvel’s MerryMutants – the X-Men! Overthe years the corner of the Marvel Universe that was not occupied bythe Avengers has been a place of almost constant change. Evolution,one might say. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby started the adventures of theoriginal team of outcast teenagers back in 1963 and the moniker“X-Men” has included many different teams...

Phantom Troublemaker and Mike Gordon discuss the past, present, and future of DC Comics, including the upcoming “Rebirth” event! DC Comics has a history of enacting and embracing change. Not just in the status quo of its characters, but in the very context of the universe(s) those characters inhabit. From Crisis on Infinite Earths to the alternate worlds of Watchmen and Elseworlds to the Vertigo i...

PhantomTroublemaker talks to Mick Orton of The Silvers! Inspiredby The Beatles at an early age, Mick Orton has been playing rock n’roll for over four decades. From touring the country playing bars androck clubs to recording albums via the magic of the internet, Mickhas never stopped playing. His new album with TheSilvers is available on GenterineRecords and features our pal, Ricky Zero from RadioC...