ESO Podcast - Episode 184

The truth is no longer out there, it is on Earth Station One! We continue the Countdown to Halloween as former cigarette-smoking host Mike Gordon is joined by skeptic Mike Faber, believer and award-winning author Bobby Nash, and lone gunman Thomas Deja, to declassify one of the most influential TV series in our time. And speaking of paranormal, we also chat with Bobby and the creative team of Alexandra Holzer and Michael Hudson about the new prose series Ghost Gal right before we give them a scare with The Geek Seat. Plus, the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report, and Shout Outs!

Earth Station One Episode 184: ESO Delves into The X-Files

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:05:43 Rants & Raves
0:38:54 Interview & Geek Seat w/ the Ghost Gal crew of Alexandra Holzer, Michael Hudson and Bobby Nash
1:07:14 The X-Files
1:54:42 2 Minutes w/ Dr Geek
1:56:39 The ESO Khan Report
2:03:53 ESO Shout Outs & Show Close

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

This week's Countdown to Halloween Rave goes to The Halloween Legion: Great Goblin Invasion graphic novel. Written by Martin Powell, with art by Thomas Boatwright and Diana Leto, the hardcover is the perfect all ages story for the season. Fun stuff!!!

Next week, the ESO the Countdown to Halloween continues as we profile a director most associated with the holiday, John Carpenter. Plus, the usual assortment of Rants & Raves, Khan Report, interviews, The Geek Seat, Shout Outs, and so much more!

ESO wants to hear from you! Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057 with your comments. We just might air your comments on the show!

And don't forget to check out items in our Amazon estore!

ESO Dragon Con 2013: SeaQuest DSV 20th Anniversary Panel

“The twenty-first century. Mankind has colonized the last unexplored region on Earth… the ocean. As captain of the seaQuest and its crew, we are its guardians. For beneath the surface… lies the future.”

Earth Station One’s Bobby Nash and Good To Be Geek’s Jessa Phillips moderated a fan discussion panel celebrating the 20th anniversary of seaQuest DSV at the 2013 Dragon Con convention. This panel was part of the fantastic American Science Fiction Classics Track.

ESO Dragon Con 2013 - SeaQuest DSV 20th Anniversary Panel

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

ESO wants to hear from you! Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057 with your comments. We just might air your comments on the show!

And don't forget to check out items in our Amazon estore!

ESO Podcast - Episode 183

On this episode, the ESO crew kicks off the Countdown to Halloween with a look at the apocalyptic series from Robert Kirkman. From the comics to TV, novels, toys, and games, it seems everyone’s favorite undead series will never die. Mike, Mike, the award-winning author Bobby Nash, and special guests Deadpool Speaks (from the Chimichanga Talk podcast) and good friend of the station Jim “Spiff” Griffin grab some bats and go walker huntin’! Plus the Audio Comics crew of Lance Roger Axt, Elaine Lee, and Carrington MacDuffie join us to discuss the recent release of “Battle for L.A.” and find themselves battling in The Geek Seat! And Nicholas Ahlhelm talks about his Lightweight project. All this, along with the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report, and Shout Outs!

Earth Station One Episode 183: Finally, The Walking Dead

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:06:22 Rants & Raves
0:28:20 Interview & Geek Seat w/ the Audio Comics crew of Lance Roger Axt, Elaine Lee, and Carrington MacDuffie
1:11:21 The Walking Dead
2:11:46 2 Minutes w/ Dr Geek
2:13:35 The ESO Khan Report
2:21:21 Kickstarter w/ Nick Ahlhelm
2:26:30 ESO Shout Outs & Show Close

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

This week's Countdown to Halloween Rave goes to The Simpsons. This year, the opening of the Treehouse of Horror XXIV designed by director Guillermo del Toro was one of the best ever! The developers of The Simpsons: Tapped Out game have also been doing a spook-tacular job with haunting my virtual Springfield. If you haven't already downloaded this app, now's the perfect time! And feel free to add me to your Origin friend list. My username is newlegendmike.

And my Shout Out goes out to a local artist who honored Russ Stamm, Jr and myself with a painted version of the cover to Invisible Scarlet O'Neil #1. Trevor Hawkins presented it to me at Dragon Con and I was blown away!

Next week, the ESO crew continues the Countdown to Halloween with a look at one of my favorite series of all time, The X-Files. Plus, the usual assortment of Rants & Raves, Khan Report, interviews, The Geek Seat, Shout Outs, and so much more!

ESO wants to hear from you! Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057 with your comments. We just might air your comments on the show!

And don't forget to check out items in our Amazon estore!

ESW Podcast - Episode 51

The Doctor explores what it means to be human in one of our favorite stories in the 50 year history of the franchise. Mike, Mike, Jen, and the Phantom Troublemaker record “The Podcast of Impossible Things” and try to avoid Family members and menacing scarecrows. We also review the ninth episode of The Doctors Revisited, and chat about the latest news and fandom.

Earth Station Who Episode 51: Human Nature/Family of Blood

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

Check out the cool Doctor Who merchandise in our Amazon store!

If you would like to leave feedback or a comment on the show, feel free to contact us via the ESW feedback line at (404) 963-9057 (remember long distance charges may apply), our ESW Facebook group page, or email eswpodcast@gmail.com.

ESO Podcast - Episode 182

We are being watched. Good thing Earth Station One is an audio podcast! Mike, Mike, the award-winning author Bobby Nash, and Jack Kammerer Jr. take on The Machine and all the characters it surveys. We also have our own Fangasm when Molly McIsaac spends some time in The Geek Seat. Plus, rants and raves on the much-anticipated first episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a special Khan report of AWA from Ravyn, and the usual Shout Outs!

Earth Station One Episode 182: Our Number's Up! ESO Reviews Person of Interest

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:06:56 Reviewing the first episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
0:27:02 Interview & Geek Seat w/ Molly McIsaac
0:51:11 Person of Interest
1:46:16 The ESO Khan Report w/ Ravyn
2:11:55 ESO Shout Outs & Show Close

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

This week's Shout Out goes out two creators who very impressed me with tv series that ended this week. Wednesday saw the conclusion of the first series of Broadchurch by Chris Chibnall on BBC America. An intense conclusion to an overall gripping drama. Same can also be said of the series finale of AMC's Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan. After five years and huge hype, I was very pleased to see the final chapter actually surpassed my expectations.

Next week, the ESO crew kicks off the Countdown to Halloween with a look at The Walking Dead. From comics to TV, to novels, toys, and games, there seems no end in sight for everyone’s favorite undead series. Join ESO and some special guests as review the history of the franchise and look ahead at what’s to come. Plus, the usual assortment of Rants & Raves, Khan Report, interviews, The Geek Seat, Shout Outs, and so much more!

ESO wants to hear from you! Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057 with your comments. We just might air your comments on the show!

And don't forget to check out items in our Amazon estore!

ESO Dragon Con 2013 Khan Report - Episode 9

Dragon Con 2013 is behind us now, but the fond memories, con crud, and the numerous buckets o’ rum will live with us forever. Mike, Mike, the award-winning author Bobby Nash, Mary Lou Who, Nikki Rau-Baker, and rookie Ravyn, tell their tales of survival among the record-setting crowd. Though one can never be truly prepared for Dragon Con, our year-long review of tips, interviews, and news reports came in handy and we had one of the best cons ever! So much so that we’ll need the next few months to recover. We’ll be back in January for our first look at Dragon Con 2014!!!

ESO Dragon Con 2013 Khan Report - Episode 9

To listen, click the link above or download this podcast from iTunes.

ESO wants to hear from you! Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057 with your comments. We just might air your comments on the show!

And don't forget to check out items in our Amazon estore!

My Favorite Monsters - The Rancor

Countdown to Halloween Day 29

My Favorite Monsters

Rancor

The opening of Return of the Jedi is one of my favorite sequences in the entire saga. Luke returns to his home planet a much different man from the boy who left (far less whiney). He confidently enters Jabba's palace prepared for anything the Hutt may throw his way. And why not? He's a Jedi now and he has his friends backing his play. After Jabba threatens him, C-3PO tries to warn him that he's standing on a trap door, but he just gives the droid a look as if to say, "Don't worry, Goldenrod. I got this." And down he goes! We all know there's something big and nasty down there because earlier the big pimp-daddy slug tossed one of his gals down there. And the tough Gamorrean guard that follows Luke down the hole knows it, too. As soon as he hits the ground, he starts squealing like a lil' piggy. And I don't blame him one little bit!

It's a moment of great anticipation and Lucas and the ILM designers do not disappoint. The rancor is an absolute behemoth. Powerful legs, long arms, tough hide, and literally bone-crunching jaws. Out of all the creatures in the Star Wars Universe, this would be the one I would least want to share a room with (I bet it's breath smells like a wet abattoir). 

And it's a puppet!!! Originally it was going to be portrayed by an actor in a suit, but the early tests were not effective. So, a puppet was made and filmed in high-speed. The results were worthy of the legendary Ray Harryhausen himself. I find this arena battle much more thrilling and this creature much more threatening than the ones that later appear in Attack of the Clones. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the rancor was an actual fully realized creature model rather than a computer graphic, even if it was "just a puppet." It also makes a very cool toy and collectible.

Thanks to the mountainous expanded universe material, the rancor has an extensive bio and has appeared in numerous novels, games, and comics. I was always hoping to see one in the Clone Wars series, but they featured something called the "Jungle Rancor" that just wasn't the same.