Of all the amazing vehicle TV shows to choose from in the 80s, Stingray was the best one you probably didn’t watch. Featuring a classic ‘65 Corvette, a lone-wolf hero who is smarter and tougher than everyone and who has a heart of gold, and the most memorable music of any 80s show - if you haven’t seen it, you don’t know what you’re missing! Melinda and Aaron walk you through the pilot.
06- Reflections on REM and Nightmares
R.E.M. When they had hair
Inspired by the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Night Terrors," Melinda and Aaron reflect on "REM," and its influence in all our lives. REM can mean so many things, the possibilities are almost endless.
(04:34) - R.E.M. (the band). Aaron discusses the band and how influential they were on the sound of so much 90s music, even back in the early 80s! In particular he's been revisiting some early REM and hearing some of it for the first time. Melinda appreciates their creativity with videos - a medium which has changed significantly since the 80s.
(15:15) - Why do we dream - Melinda gives a VERY brief overview of some popular theories of why we dream and then what happens to your body if you DON'T dream, including some tips on how to have your very own hallucination.
John Dee, aka Doctor Destiny in Sandman comics.
(20:55) Melinda gets to briefly discuss the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman, and the series "Preludes and Nocturnes" in particular. Also, some recommendations on some other great works to check out by Neil Gaiman.
(28:50) Aaron recalls the movie Flatliners and the creepiness of Kiefer Sutherland.
Kristen (Patricia Arquette) downing some Sanka with Diet Coke to stay awake in Nightmare on Elm Street III.
(31:20) And finally we get to Nightmare on Elm Street, one of Melinda's favorite films, which has a great heroine in Nancy and a terrifying villain in Freddy Krueger. apparently had lots to teach us about methods for staying awake.
(48:18) Aaron takes a moment to explain the importance of getting checked for sleep apnea, and what it's like when it's untreated.
(51:03) The final REM offering is the X-Files episode "Sleepless" starring another favorite of Melinda's: Tony Todd.
Tony Todd in "Sleepless"
(57:00) How Did We Survive? A harrowing tale this week of being suspended above a ravine in the snow.
04 - Robot Love (70s and 80s Robots)
CBS Fox branded Tomy Omnibot menioned by Michael
Tonight we welcome special guests Michael French from RetroBlasting and Tom Berges from www.igrewupstarwars.com. We start out by talking about fish sticks and beards, and Melinda confuses Mrs. Fields with Mrs. Paul’s. They’re both great cooks, people.
(08:20) Tom talks about how he got into becoming a Droid Builder, and how far he has come with building his R2-D2 from A New Hope.
(13:26) R2-D2 led to the interest in all the robots made in the 70s and 80s. We talk about some of the more interesting robots, including the Tomy robots, Lego robotics, Starroid Radio Robot, HERO 1 and TOPO, and Sico.
(48:46) – How Did We Survive? Jimmy Stewart recounts an episode of taking a dirt access road, an impromptu wrestling match, and losing track of time.
References:
03 - Showbiz vs Chuck E. Cheese
Nolan Bushnell and Chuck E. Cheese (left), Aaron Fechter and Billy Bob from The Rockafire Explosion (right)
We recount our experience at DragonCon 2017, including celebrity encounters with a doctor and a Jewel.
(06:37) We go through the sordid and contentious history of Showbiz and Chuck E. Cheese, and the entrepreneurs who fought it out to be 80s Pizza King: Nolan Bushnell and Aaron Fechter.
(56:15) How Did We Survive? Sarah Jessica Parker writes in and tells us about rolling down the hill in a stolen shopping cart.
References:
The History of Chuck E. Cheese's and ShowBiz Pizza
02 - Spiral Zone Cartoon, Ep.1
From the opening sequence of Spiral Zone
We settle in for a nice podcast and break the ice with some weird tea references and Melinda describes what it’s like to bake a cake with a vintage Wilton cake pan. Aaron enjoys his new watch.
(11:40) This week we head into the zone – Spiral Zone. Melinda and Aaron each watched an episode (Holographic Zone Battle) of this twisted 80s cartoon and go through it, step by step.
(50:20) – How Did We Survive? Patrick describes playing rodeo and playing with flamethrowers. Richard crashes an ATV in Mexico.
References:
01 - History of Cabbage Patch Kids
Martha Nelson Thomas' Doll Babies (Left) and early Xavier Roberts design (Right)
We are thrilled to announce the inaugural episode of Dreamland: The RetroBlasting Podcast. Taking our name from the skating rink in Melinda’s childhood hometown, we plan to be the place where Gen Xers can hang out and talk about the things we love, while also learning some of the crazy stories from behind the scenes. It’s like RetroBlasting – now as a podcast!
(02:41) We kick this off with a journey into the world of Cabbage Patch Kids. From their early origins with creator Martha Nelson Thomas and her Doll Babies, to Xavier Roberts and Babyland General, to the Coleco years, and beyond, we give you the low-down on these wildly successful, iconic 80s toys. We honestly had no idea where this was going, and the roots went in crazy directions.
(54:21) – We start a fun tradition of closing the show with a segment called “How Did We Survive?” This week Aaron and Melinda each share their own story to start us off. Aaron had bike trouble and Melinda began her quest to get her superpower.
References:
Watch the Vice mini-documentary here: The Secret History of Cabbage Patch Kids