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 Rob Bottin’s nightmarish special effects work create an unparalleled horror experience. Phantom Troubl...
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 49 min
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 of the rest came from the mind of a man who only ever wanted to draw cartoon animals. And his chara...
Sep 30, 2016•1 hr 20 min
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 as one of the most terrifying horror movies ever made. And then there's Mick Garris' television mini...
Sep 23, 2016•1 hr 13 min
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 Reinhold prove to be too much of a handful for our Fearless Leader? (Spoiler Alert – Joe didn’t make it...
Sep 16, 2016•1 hr 2 min
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 a FAN-TIKI-TASTIC hit! Meanwhile, Phantom ran a game show, provided commentary for DCW's first-ever...
Sep 08, 2016•1 hr 28 min
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 of literary and media-based panels for all stripes of horror fans. Learn how the modern Horror Track ...
Aug 30, 2016•1 hr 11 min
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 in as Phantom and Beau discuss this year’s guests, panels, and shows from one of the most beloved Tr...
Aug 26, 2016•1 hr 32 min
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 guests to game shows, Joe and Gary always have an eye towards not only entertaining Con-goers, but ...
Aug 19, 2016•1 hr 41 min
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 a cape” uttered in reverent tones in relation to Dragon Con, Joshua and his friend Mr. Nicholas are...
Aug 11, 2016•1 hr 12 min
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 this and more generated huge levels of excitement amongst the fans and con-goers in attendance. I...
Aug 04, 2016•1 hr 21 min
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 Mr. Beau Brown talk about the products and news that came out of SDCC 2016! Be sure to join the Need...
Jul 29, 2016•1 hr 49 min
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 Creatures discuss John Carpenter and Kurt Russell’s weirdest and wildest collaboration! Be sure to join ...
Jul 21, 2016•1 hr 36 min
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 Ghouella DeVille , for a conversation about one of the most unique and beloved pop culture franchis...
Jul 15, 2016•1 hr 32 min
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, it often felt like acknowledgment or validation that their franchise was important enough to be po...
Jul 07, 2016•1 hr 43 min
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 world around them while programs like You Can't Do That On Television were more subtle about the mes...
Jul 01, 2016•1 hr 41 min
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 in as the Needless Things Irregulars jump between various topics during a night of random nerd talk! ...
Jun 24, 2016•1 hr 37 min
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. Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thrill...
Jun 16, 2016•1 hr 29 min
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 culture. Everyone had their favorites and nostalgia has made our love for them stronger than ever. Whe...
Jun 10, 2016•1 hr 39 min
PhantomTroublemaker talks to screenwriter, producer, and story editor JohnSemper, Jr.! Spider-Man:The Animated Series is 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 for his work on StaticShock .Prior to those achievements, Semper honed his craft working on manyof t...
Jun 03, 2016•1 hr 42 min
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 and characters sincethen. Thepopularity of the mutants was such that Hollywood made them one ofthe f...
May 27, 2016•2 hr 22 min
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 imprint, one of DC’s trademarks is change and diversity of vision. Change is once again coming to the...
May 19, 2016•2 hr 34 min
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 RadioCult ! Listenin as Phantom talks to Mick about life on the road, musicalinfluences, and the difficult...
May 13, 2016•57 min
PhantomTroublemaker flies solo with a discussion of random dorkery including Game 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 the NeedlessThings Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! ...
May 06, 2016•1 hr 2 min
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 sight.This has had and will have major and lasting effects on the ExpandedUniverse, the toys, and any ...
Apr 29, 2016•2 hr 24 min
The greatest musical performer of all time has passed away. Phantom Troublemaker talks about Prince.
Apr 21, 2016•50 min
PhantomTroublemaker and Beth talk zombies! FromGeorge Romero’s genre-creating Nightof the Living Dead to 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 narrativepossibilities. They’ve been the focus of comic books, movies, andtelevision shows for decades and h...
Apr 15, 2016•1 hr 48 min
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 had been waiting for. But was it truly what we wanted? Was Zack Snyder the right man to deliver the ...
Apr 08, 2016•2 hr 19 min
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 that’s precisely what makes WrestleMania 32 sointeresting. Never before has WWE been so strained to dev...
Apr 01, 2016•2 hr 9 min
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 Toonami has spent her career singing and performing in various side projectssuch as Le Sexoflex and Summoner IV . Shefirst appeared on the Needless Things Podcast as her alter ego, MissLady Flex, way back in Episode3 ,which you should totally go and listen to. She r...
Mar 25, 2016•2 hr 1 min
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 ’Mike Gordon,Ricky Zero from Radio Cult ,andmembers of the audience share the stories behind their f...
Mar 17, 2016•1 hr 6 min
