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Do you ever look back on the movies you watched as a kid and think, "How was THAT appropriate for my childhood?" Maybe these disturbing children's shows and movies have contributed to our childhood trauma. Or maybe we are more disturbed by them as adults than we ever noticed as kids because we were so into the action.
FTN contributors Jeff McGee, Darth Taxus, and Regina Davis join Scott to discuss these movies and shows. The group examines some scary, dark, and disturbing themes and how they might not have truly been appropriate for children. The discussion includes Cloak & Dagger, The Goonies, The Wizard of Oz, The NeverEnding Story, the Muppet movies and more. Timestamps
Jeff and Regina are co-hosts on a podcast called The Pilot Episode where they watch and review the first episode of different TV shows. Jeff also co-hosts Star Wars Splash Page where he and Matt Moore discuss that week’s Star Wars Comics. Both podcasts can be found on Marvin Dog Media. Regina also co-hosts Comic Book Noob with Scott Murray and Matt Moore. Darth Taxus is currently playing country and western music with Gene Tobin around Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
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We were all devastated to hear the news of Chadwick Boseman's passing in August of last year. He was a wonderful actor who was loved my many, and most people didn’t even know he was fighting a battle with cancer.
Chadwick was also very dear to the nerd community because of his portrayal of the beloved King T'Challa or Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film, Wakanda Forever, will be in Phase 4 of the MCU, and Disney has announced they will not recast the role. Today, Scott discusses if that's a good or a bad idea with FTN contributors Tiffany Ojeda, Mia Dallas, Matt Moore, and Jared J. Lee. Listen to this fantastic discussion as you anticipate heading back to the theaters and getting back into the MCU. Timestamps
The first episode of the CW Nancy Drew series aired in October of 2019 and season two is currently going strong.
Well, today's guest is part of the Nancy Drew cast. Aadila Dosani plays Amanda Bobbsey, one of the most intriguing characters on this new season of Nancy Drew. She and Scott discuss her early days of performing for her family, her background in theater, auditioning for the role of Amanda Bobbsey and the new spin this series is puts on the Bobbsey twins! Timestamps
Scott revisits his 2019 interview with Violet Ramis Stiel - Harold Ramis' daughter and the author of Ghostbuster's Daughter: Life with My Dad, Harold Ramis. Scott shares some of Twitter's reasons for removing cartoon characters from existence.
FTN contributor and 80s author/speaker Chris Clews takes over the show to challenge Scott, Darth Taxus and Matt More with some 80s-themed questions, including:
Thanos snaps his fingers and takes out all but one of Corey Feldman's movies. Which one do you save? What recent movie would fit perfectly into the 80s movie library? If you could go back in infuse modern CGI/effects into an 80s movie, which would it be? Find out how Beastmaster, ZZ Top, Weird Al, Thanos, Colonel Sanders, Robocop, Atari, Mission Impossible, leg warmers and vampires made it into the answers. Timestamps
When we think of love and Star Wars, most people probably think of Han and Leia and their iconic line, "I love you, I know."
Or maybe they think of Anakin and Padme's tortured love story. However, we can learn so much more about all types of relationships from the Star Wars movies, shows and extended universe. Today's guest, Amy Richau, wrote a book about those relationships. Listen as she and Scott discuss some lessons we can learn from a few Star Wars characters such as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Rey, Finn, Galen Erso and Agent Kallus. Also, be sure to check out Amy's new book Star Wars I Love You, I Know: Lessons in Love and Friendship. Timestamps
Today's episode features a talented special guest starring in a time travel mystery series and two memorable conversations in honor of Black History month.
Landon Gordon plays Wyatt in The Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulphur Springs, a TV series featuring time travel, town secrets and unexplained phenomenon. After his father unexpectedly moved the famiy away from Chicago, Wyatt and his siblings soon realize their new home (a hotel) might be haunted by a missing girl. As his brother (Griffin) and his new best friend (Harper) investigate the mysteries, Wyatt and his sister set out to get some answers of their own. Landon joins Scott on today's episode to discuss the role, time travel, generating scares and much more.
In honor of Black History Month, Scott also shares his memorable 2013 interviews with two Tuskegee Airmen - Master Sergeant Joseph Montgomery and Brigadier General (then Colonel) Charles McGee. These interviews were conducted in conjunction with the release of the George Lucas movie - Red Tails.
Both men discuss the challenges of fighting wars on a global scale while enduring personal battles at home.
Remember conventions? Remember when we could go to them? Remember San Diego Comic-Con? Remember hearing all those BIG announcements? Those were the days.
This week, FTN contributors Tiffany Ojeda, Mia Dallas and Nathan Chick join Scott to discuss their convention memories. They'll talk about memorable moments that stand out for the right and wrong reasons, as well as funny stories, celebrity meetings and future hopes (once we can go back). COVID-19 Forced Fan Conventions to Close Their Doors Once the pandemic took hold, people were no longer able to gather at in-person events. Everything from Star Wars Celebration to San Diego Comic-Con were cancelled, and many events went virtual. Even with hopes for things to get better in 2021, some conventions (like the New York Toy Fair) have already cancelled plans for this year. In previous episodes of the podcast, FTN contributors likeElise Baughman shared some advantages to virtual conventions (like accessibility), and Scott talked about finally getting to meet celebrities like Jane Badler and Frank Ashmore (from 'V') through a virtual event. Nonetheless, nerds are waiting with bated breath to see if any conventions will re-open their doors sometime in 2021. Memories Prove the Impact of In-Person Conventions It wasn't difficult for anyone to discuss memories in today's podcast.
Fandoms Applied to other Aspects of Life Anyone who's known Scott for awhile knows he often ties real-life things to movie and television scenes. So, when he was tasked with tying pop culture characters to his Master's Degree, he couldn't wait to jump on it. The assignment was to pick characters from television and movies who demonstrate leadership and highlight their behaviors. He not only had to pick characters, but pick scenes that compliment the selections. His first choice (of three ) was James T. Kirk who's leadership style includes not believing in a no-win situation. While For The Nerd is not the first show to talk to voice actors, oftentimes the emphasis tends to be on TV, movies, and video games. While the guests on this episode have worked on all types of media before, they are perhaps best known for their work on something a little more nostalgic: cereal and fruit punch commercials! Even if we might not think about them much on a day-to-day basis, there are characters out there who've been around for decades and whose catchphrases have been repeated for years by kids and adults alike. Phrases like “Follow your nose!” and “Oh yeah!” are simply part of the vernacular of the Western world now, ingrained into the subconscious of the many people who got a glimpse of those gleaming mascots in store aisles and saw them on their television sets. These are mascots who real people get a chance to embody, as is the case with Matthew Curtis (the new voice of Toucan Sam of Fruit Loops), Robb Pruitt (Frankenberry, Chip the Wolf of Cookie Crisp), and Brock Powell (the new voice of Kool-Aid Man). But before we get to them, you might be wondering: Why are these brand mascots so important to us in the first place? Well, to find the answer to this question, let us cast our minds back to an era when cereal wasn’t just something you ate in the morning - it was an experience.
A Trip Down Memory Aisle
Cereal has a strong association with childhood. This is because it used to be something of a universal language for children. There were Saturday morning cartoons, action figures involved, and so many delicious options that it felt like choosing something at a toy store. In the modern world, there might not be quite the same selection as there once was, but back then, the cereal aisle was a whole magical world to be explored. Granted, in the last few years, the aisle has regained some of its long lost magic, but the selection is neither as creative nor as expansive as it once was. When The Mandalorian gets a cereal, it’s just more of the same in different packaging. Back in the day, there were cereals made for ET, C3PO, the Gremlins - you name it, they had it. Each one was different. They even had one for the candy brand Nerds -- how fitting. It was all so exciting. Yet now, you can take five steps and be pretty much out of the cereal aisle already. The one thing that has remained true in the world of cereal are the advertising icons, the legendary characters that grew up with us. Even now, after so much has changed, they are still around. With different voices, perhaps, but with the same exuberant energy as always.
Speaking of... here are a few thoughts from the voice actors behind some of the most iconic commercial characters on the silver screen, on the ups and downs of a little-talked-about industry.
Building Your Own Brand Taking over the shoes (or beak) like Toucan Sam’s, which formerly belonged to legendary voice actor Maurice LaMarche, is difficult business -- Matthew Curtis can attest to it. Many wonder how you even get a gig like that in the first place, with the competition being so high to be the face of Froot Loops’ new marketing campaign. According to Matt, the biggest thing that’s helped him is being the one to scout out his own jobs. For him, the real tough leg work is in finding the role for himself, before he can start on the meaty work of diving into a character and giving them a voice. But for high profile roles like Toucan Sam, that’s where the importance of agents and managers come into play. Matt says he has his amazing team of agents to thank for his spot as an up-and-coming advertising icon, and that it’s truly incredible how much the voice acting industry has changed in order to allow his contributions to be recognized by a wider audience. Being Up Against the Big-Wigs Not all change is good change. Another big shift in the voice acting industry is a focus on bigger name celebrities over blue-collar voiceover artists. It doesn’t matter what the talent level of the actor is -- if their name can be put up in big font on a poster, then the producers know they have a winner. Matt says he’s felt discouraged by these changes, but that it’s the nature of the industry. Besides, he argues, a lot of celebrities get to where they are by being genuinely talented, so there’s no harm done in the end. At the end of the day, he’s just glad he gets to do what he loves for a living. Bringing Your Own Flavor The first time Brock Powell heard Kool-Aid Man’s signature phrase, he was both horrified and inspired. He had just heard Frank Sims’ deep voice bellowing it out, and although he didn’t know it yet, it would become a well-remembered experience for him. At the end of 2015, Kool-Aid decided to find a new voice for their classic character, and that was when Brock Powell put his admiration for Frank Sims and his own talents to good use. For Brock, it’s all about bringing his own energy, his own character, and his own quirky voice to the mix. Kool-Aid Man has a long history of voice actors behind him, and he stands as an advertising icon for mascots of every brand. So, to put his own spin on the big red pitcher was the only way Brock could see himself leaving a mark on the character’s legacy. Now Bring It Again, and Again Unfortunately for voice actors, one time repeating a catchphrase just won’t cut it. In order to get the part of Kool-Aid Man, Brock had to go through three rounds of auditions, each one making him say those two words over and over again in every possible way. Robb Pruitt, of Frankenberry and Chip the Wolf fame, says that this is what it is to be a voice actor. How easy would it be to simply say two words and leave the studio? Too easy. In order to be the voice of one of these iconic mascots, Robb says that one has to come in ready to do every take a different way until the right way is found. Yet to him, it’s not hard work -- at least, not in the traditional definition of the word. It is difficult and tiresome, but in the end, it’s well worth it to be part of the legacy of such influential advertising icons. If you want to find out more about advertising icons and all the influence they’ve had on the voice acting industry and the world, check out the panel Icons of Advertising, virtually hosted by Galaxy Con on February 14th and featuring all the lovely people you’ve met in this article.
When the trailers for the upcoming Marvel TV shows on Disney Plus dropped last month, some fans were puzzled. If you haven't read the comics, the WandaVision, Loki, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier trailers may have seemed a bit confusing.
Comic book experts and FTN contributors Matt Moore and Regina Davis are here to provide some context for the new Marvel TV shows coming to Disney+ in 2021. Some of the questions they address include: What is happening to Scarlet Witch and Vision? Where is Loki and who are those people that captured him? What are Falcon and The Winter Soldier up to in their new series? Timestamps: • 1:30 News & Reviews • 8:38 Scott talks about Luke Skywalker's appearance on The Mandalorian (reactions & drama) • 17:05 Discussion with contributors Matt Moore and Regina Davis begins • 23:35 Loki • 32:12 Falcon and the Winter Soldier • 39:41 WandaVision • 50:00 How these three shows might be the bridge for phase 4 of the MCU • 53:24 Where else can you find Matt Moore and Regina Davis online right now |
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