Needless Things

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...

PhantomTroublemaker flies solo with a discussion of random dorkery includingGame ofThrones,Keanu,Six Flags Over Georgia, the Ghostbusters franchise and more! Pressedfor time and exhausted from the ups and downs of everyday life,Phantom talks into the mic for an hour about a bevy of subjects. Listen in as he discusses what’s on his mind in a ramble thatranges across various topics! Besure to join t...

PhantomTroublemaker and Chad J. Shonk get deep into a galaxy far, far awayin the newest episode of the Needless Things Podcast! Itis a landmark time in the history of Star Wars fandom. A new entry inthe main saga was released just five months ago and a whole new typeof Star Wars film is less than eight months away. For the first timeever the franchise is producing annual releases with no end in si...

The greatest musical performer of all time has passed away. Phantom Troublemaker talks about Prince.

PhantomTroublemaker and Beth talk zombies! FromGeorge Romero’s genre-creating Nightof the Living Deadto AMC’s mega-smash TheWalking Dead,zombies have become nothing less than a pop culture phenomenon. Thereare slow zombies, fast zombies, rotten zombies, and talking zombies. The undead are creatures that take many different forms and lendthemselves to a massive variety of storytelling and narrative...

Phantom Troublemaker, Head of Research Ryan Schweck, and the Belligerent Monkey Jay Hornsby discuss one of the most divisive superhero movies of all time - Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice! We've all been waiting countless years for the Man of Steel to meet the Dark Knight on the Silver Screen. In 2016, Warner Bors. finally got its shit together and gave us the cinematic team-up that the world h...

TheNeedless Things Irregulars convene to talk about this year’sShowcase of the Immortals – WrestleMania 32! Takingplace on April 3rdin Dallas, Texas, this year’s installment of profession alwrestling’s biggest spectacle will likely go down as the mostfraught show in the history of WWE. The company’s talent have beenplagued by injuries, derailing almost all of the biggest plans forthe card. And tha...

PhantomTroublemaker talks to writer, actor, and comedian Dana Swanson onthis special centennial episode of the Needless Things Podcast! DanaSwanson is a multifaceted entertainer who, in addition to voicingSara v3.0 for [adult swim]’s Toonamihas spent her career singing and performing in various side projectssuch as Le Sexoflex and Summoner IV . Shefirst appeared on the Needless Things Podcast as h...

LIVEfrom the 2016 Joelanta and the Great Atlanta Toy Convention, PhantomTroublemaker hostsan all-new ToyStories panel! Everyonehas a toy story. JoinPhantom Troublemaker and a selection of special guests as they sharereminiscences about the playthings they grew up with. Each speakerwill present a tale attached to a specific toy from their life. Listenin as Phantom, Sean Reid, NewLegend Productions...

PhantomTroublemaker and NewLegend Productions ’Mike Gordon talk about the theme songs of the James Bond movies! Since1962 the James Bond film franchise has featured some of the mostmemorable songs in pop culture history. From the most famous of them– “James Bond Theme” from Dr. No –to the most controversial – Spectre’s“Writing’s on the Wall” performed by British pop singer SamSmith, the Bond theme...

PhantomTroublemaker talks to Marten Jallad, one of the men behind Joelantaand the Great Atlanta Toy Convention ! Formore than a decade, Joelanta has been an annual event bringing toycollectors and pop culture enthusiasts from across the countrytogether in Atlanta to celebrate the joys of toys and friendship! Notonly will you find vendors selling a variety of vintage and moderntoys such as GI Joe,...

PhantomTroublemaker and Beth talk to NewLegend Productions ’Mike Gordon about the comeback of the 90s genre hit television show,TheX-Files! From1995 to 2002, TheX-Filesset a standard for genre television with nine seasons ofconspiracy-laden science fiction. From aliens to biological hazardsto cryptozoological phenomenon, FBI agents Mulder and Scully (andlater Doggett and Reyes) faced a never-endin...

The Needless Things Irregulars assemble for their annual look at the New York International Toy Fair! The 2016 New York International Toy Fair was held from February 13th – 16th so that toy manufacturers from all over the world could get retailers and journalists excited about their offerings for the upcoming year. Hasbro, Mattel, Funko, NECA, and many more all bring out their prototypes, concepts...

Valentine's Day is this Sunday and love is in the air! Join Phantom Troublemaker, Beth V (for Valentine), and Chad J. Shonk as they begin Needless Things' series on a show all about love - Buffy the Vampire Slayer! In  this episode the Needless Gang talks about the first season of Buffy and how it came to be, as well as how they each discovered the unlikely cult favorite. Joss Whedon, monsters, an...

Phantom Troublemaker is joined by Needless Things' Head of Research Ryan and award-winning writer Bobby Nash for a conversation about the current crop of television shows that have been adapted from comics! We are currently blessed with a huge crop of quality television shows that have their roots in the world of comic books. Arrow kicked off a golden age of comic book TV shows that now includes T...

Phantom Troublemaker talks to Gary Schaeffer, a Wall Street player who is now steering the ship – the spaceship – of one of the most interesting toy lines of all time, the Outer Space Men ! The Outer Space Men toy line launched in 1968, one year before man landed on the moon! It was full of iconic and colorful creatures that were designed to complement Mattel’s wildly successful Major Matt Mason t...

Phantom Troublemaker is joined by Sean Reid, Noel from Dork Droppings , and Marc from Unshaven Comics  for a discussion about one of WWE’s signature events, the Royal Rumble! Since 1988 the Royal Rumble has been one of wrestling’s most exciting events. Originally a television special on the USA network centered around a 20-man battle royal, the Rumble has evolved into one of the focal points of WW...