The Flopcast

A few months back, we examined the Saturday morning cartoon schedules of each major TV network from the year 1980. Now we're jumping ahead by a decade for three more cartoon-themed episodes, starting with ABC's Saturday morning schedule from the ridiculous year of 1990. How ridiculous was it? Well... there was a New Kids on the Block cartoon. Television probably should have just ended right there,...

Inspired by the DragonCon American Sci-Fi Classics Track's "Hostess Fruit Pie Theater" (don't ask), we're looking at those bizarre Hostess comic book ads of the 70s and 80s. It was a time when every Marvel and DC superhero (as well as all the Archie characters, Looney Tunes characters, Casper, Richie Rich, and even Sad Sack) were completely obsessed with Hostess products. Aquaman could stop a bank...

Just a quick simple show this week, as we recombobulate post-DragonCon. (Yeah, we're even sleepier than usual.) Including: Online movie riffing with The Mads, remembering Tower Records, Fake Jan, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Ricky Schroder in a tuxedo, Kornflake on a trampoline, and Happy Birthday to one giant supertwin. Links: MST3K's Trace and Frank, The Mads! The Tower Records documentar...

We seem to have survived the first (and yikes, hopefully the last) online "virtual" version of DragonCon! This year, instead of descending upon downtown Atlanta, we all stayed home, got on the stupid internet, and made it happen. Kevin and the Mayor of Chickentown (as well as lots more ESO Network personnel) were quite busy with DragonCon panels and meetups throughout Labor Day weekend, and this y...

It's DragonCon weekend, and while the convention is virtual this year, we're not gonna miss hanging out with Martha and Brittany from the podcast But First, Let's Talk Nerdy! And the Mayor of Chickentown is here too! It's a party, so get ready for some silly DragonCon talk, including: The Marriott vs. the Hyatt, a friendly dog crashing our Zoom call, our traditional Sam Adams Octoberfest, plastic...

We're just a few days away from DragonCon! Normally we'd be flying to Atlanta right about now, with our Sleestak costumes carefully stuffed in our carry-on bags. But DragonCon is happening online this year, so just stay home and tune in. (But do still dress like a Sleestak. Always.) And we have more special DragonCon guests here on the Flopcast this week! Christine and Darryl are veteran DragonCon...

As virtual DragonCon approaches, we're virtually catching up with some of our favorite DragonCon people. And our guest this week is another old friend, coming to you all the way from Tennessee: Strange Animals Podcast host Kate Shaw! Kevin and Kate met through the small press publishing scene of the 90s, before they traded in their photocopiers and staplers for microphones and digital recorders. N...

In a normal year, right now we'd be preparing to go to Atlanta for DragonCon, our favorite annual gathering of the geeks. But, as you may have noticed, this is not a normal year. We're still going to DragonCon, but it'll be an online virtual convention - just fire up your Commodore 64 and tune in! (You're old school. We like that.) And since we won't get to hang out with our DragonCon friends in p...

Never mind the humans, it's time for our ninth (!) annual robot-themed Top 4 1/2 List. And because this is not a normal summer, we're combining the robot list with our new quarantine era segment, Trapped in the House. Kevin is supplying the weird robot options, and Kornflake must choose which robots are stomping on over to her place and moving in. Are these robots angry, crazy, and super annoying?...

It's our Billy Joel episode! Which we've been meaning to do for years! (Sorry about the delay. We've been really busy and/or sleepy.) We start by celebrating the 40th (!) anniversary of the Glass Houses album, and determine if it's really still rock and roll to us. Then Kornflake presents a Top 4 1/2 List of her favorite Billy Joel songs. (It's a slightly randomized list, based on coin tosses, so...

Because we're idiots, last summer we forced ourselves to watch all the Meatballs sequels. (There were three, which felt like three hundred.) So this week, continuing the theme of disappointing follow-ups to classic Bill Murray movies, we finally watched all the Caddyshack sequels. (There was just one, which somehow also felt like three hundred.) Caddyshack II got a few things right: A script by Ha...

A mysterious package arrived at the studio, and now we're the proud (?) owners of a Teen Beat 1981 Calendar magazine. You can read it like a magazine (and learn all about Gary Coleman) or hang it on the wall like a calendar (and spend an entire month staring at John Schneider). We flip through the whole thing, hoping at least one month would feature a chimpanzee, and we are not disappointed. (KISS...

It's the conclusion of our latest silly tournament, as we randomly draw more Lilith Fair performers to compete in more stupid events. (For example, would Sheryl Crow or Jewel be a better Lyft driver? We have the definitive answer.) Last week, your Lilith queen Sarah McLachlan was knocked out of contention, so it's anybody's game at this point. Kevin loves Joan Osborne, Kornflake loves the Indigo G...

The 2020s have been, uh, less than delightful so far. So let's go back to the 1990s, and back to the Lilith Fair, for another ridiculous FlopFight tournament! We're randomly drawing the names of Lilith Fair performers, and debating how they would fare in various stupid competitions. It's stuff like, could Suzanne Vega defeat Fiona Apple in a staring contest? Would Tracy Chapman be a better breakda...

Longtime friends of the Flopcast Brittany and Martha are back this week, as we officially announce that their podcast But First, Let's Talk Nerdy is now part of the ESO Network! We catch up on life in Las Vegas during the pandemic (Kevin escaped just in time), some of their recent nerdy show topics (like Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop, Riverdale, and James Bond), and the art of podcasting while tipsy (...

Last week Kevin listed his ten favorite albums from the 1980s, year by ridiculous year. So this week it's Kornflake's turn, with an album list from the 1990s! (You may not remember the 90s very well. You were so goofed up on Crystal Pepsi back then.) It's a fun mix of alt-rock, pop, boy bands, and maybe even a little rap and hair metal. (But alas, no Spacehog...) Also: Happy Birthday to a classic...

By request, Kevin lists a favorite album for each year of the 1980s, and Kornflake provides expert (?) commentary along the way. (Several Australian acts made the list. Not just Air Supply.) Also: We're dancing on the ceiling with clay heads in honor of Lionel Richie's birthday, Kevin finally leaves the house (wearing a chicken mask) for the reopening of Rubber Chicken Comics, we're back in Classi...

This is a short one, kids, because this seemed like a week for the Flopcast to mostly shut up. The plan is to get back to our usual silliness next time. Meanwhile, pay attention. Be careful. Get to work. The Flopcast website The ESO Network The Flopcast on Facebook The Flopcast on Instagram The Flopcast on Twitter Please rate and review The Flopcast on Apple Podcasts Email: info@flopcast.net Geeks...

It's our third and final show covering Saturday morning TV from four decades ago, and we've arrived at NBC. The network offered an odd cartoon lineup in 1980, consisting almost entirely of reruns! Even Godzilla and his tricky pal Godzooky were in reruns at this point, along with Hong Kong Phooey, Daffy Duck, Jonny Quest, and more. Hanna Barbera's only new series was The Flintstone Comedy Show, a c...

Chickentown is still locked down, for the safety of humans and poultry alike. But as we learn in this week's Chickens in the News segment, citizens of Louisiana are dealing with a crazed non-social distancing chicken, and we love it. Also: Creepy mannequins are enjoying some fine dining; we wish a Happy Birthday to Todd "Watcha Talkin Bout Willis" Bridges; Kevin is running around disguised as Clor...

We're continuing our look at the Saturday morning cartoon landscape forty years ago, but we're changing the channel to see what was happening on CBS. (Sorry, no remote control, kids. Gotta get off the couch and turn the stupid knob.) CBS ran a bunch of Filmation shows that year, including some odd remakes of older properties (Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Tom and Jerry) and surprisingly strong...

It's the Flopcast 8th Anniversary Spectacular! (And yes, we're lying about the "spectacular" part.) Including: Some fascinating Flopcast stats (now we're lying about the "fascinating" part), a baffling look back at some of our weirder episode titles ("Hillbilly Burrito"... why?), an update from Flopcast Superfan Bob, and a Star Wars-themed National Whatever Day (but we don't mean May the 4th). And...

Grab a bowl of Cookie Crisp; you're gonna need it. The plan is to discuss every Saturday morning cartoon from way back in 1980, even if it takes three episodes (one for each network). We're starting with ABC, whose Saturday morning lineup included Super Friends (with evil robot space monkey Gleek), Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (with Cupcake and her flying saucer time machine), Richie Rich and Scoo...

It's another week in Chickentown Lockdown... so Kevin and Kornflake are playing weird secret online games with their weird secret online friends, Niki Luparelli is entertaining the world from her kitchen, Jay Leno is distracted by Kevin's t-shirt, and a trip into the Pudding Pages leads to yet another Flopcast discussion of Dynamite magazine. This is a quick one, because we're very busy not doing...

We're back for another round of the dumb game we invented last week, Trapped in the House. (This is the most timely we've ever been on the Flopcast... by about thirty years.) Kornflake is in charge this time, forcing Kevin to choose his quarantine roommates from a bizarre list of terrifying options. The list includes a werewolf, a robot, a Brady, an alien or two, some cartoon sharks, and more. Fee...