Bonanza premiered in 1959 and lasted for 14 seasons (so it totally counts as a 70’s television show…but more importantly it is one of our favorite shows so we just had to talk about it). It had one of the best dads on television and Katy, Kellie, and Mandy know what a good dad is. Lorne Greene (love him), Pernell Roberts (those eyes), Dan Blocker (the heart of the show), and Michael Landon (darn wonderful man) together with David Dortort (the historian, producer, writer and creator of the show) gifted us with a colorful, quality episodic dream of a series and there is a good reason why you can still catch it on television today.
We hope you’re enjoying our music, Watering Trees, by Katy – performed and arranged by Samantha Theisen and Alex Brandenburg. Be sure to let us know if you are enjoying the show and if you have anything you’d like us to cover.
Kellie introduced Katy and Mandy to the British sitcom Miranda and all three of their lives may never be the same. So much gratitude to Miranda Hart, the star and creator of the show, for making something so wonderful and giving us permission to be happy (but also stupendously silly) in our own skin. This episode is about the show’s creation, the characters we love, and our favorite moments.
We hope you’re enjoying our new music, Watering Trees, by Katy – performed and arranged by Samantha Theisen and Alex Brandenburg.
Were you born in 1969? Katy and Kellie were. So for our first episode of season three we decided to celebrate all things fifty years old (and some quite a bit older). Learn about things that happened in 1969 (moon walking, protesting, murdering, protesting, internet-ing, Woodstock-ing, and more protesting) in this fun, whirlwind of a journey down memory lane….but not our memories….we were infants, people. We remember nothing.
Also, enjoy our new music, Watering Trees, by Katy – performed and arranged by Samantha Theisen and Alex Brandenburg.
Start your morning off right with Katy, Kellie, and Mandy as they relive their experience at the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, CA. Belly laugh with them as they entertain each other with science facts and (in the case of Katy) non-facts…Katy’s observations were mainly just an insane wish list. Mandy did her research, as usual, and Kellie simply knows things…lots of things…
Katy and Kellie break down what they loved (Kellie) and didn’t love (Katy) about Moving Pictures – the next in the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett. The imagery – wizards on a wheelchair…ladies holding tiny apes whilst climbing buildings – all top notch. But maybe (if you agree with Katy) there was too much? Or, if you agree with Kellie, just enough. You be the judge. And let us know.
Join Katy, Kellie, and Mandy as they talk about a class they took on how to handle a handgun. For many different reasons (which we talk about in the episode) we wanted to take this class and we each came away from it feeling much more knowledgable and prepared. We experienced many emotions (which we cover in detail) and learn which of us would be the most prepared in a zombie apocalypse (hint…it’s not Katy).
This is the first of our adventure/class/instruction series.
We’re back! Katy, Kellie, and Mandy are back and dishing about what is coming up in season three. We are setting off on entirely new adventures and we’re taking you with us. We have a desire to enjoy all that life can throw at us and everything we can throw back. Thank you for being with us for the ride.
Join Kellie, Katy, and Mandy in a conversation about what has them freaked out, thinking, and pondering this week. And then stick around for a discussion about the 9th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett – Eric.
Katy, Kellie, and Mandy chat about the latest news – Terry Pratchett’s unfinished work, Cassini spacecraft, and Venus – and then discuss a fantastic book – The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit – as well as Katy’s penchant for creating meals she believes are the “best that ever was.” (She’s slightly delusional, but in a good way.)
Then in Growing up 70’s (starting at 28:30) Katy and Kellie discuss Ironside, staring Raymond Burr. It was a show with great writing, a fantastic musical theme by Quincy Jones, and directors that knew how to use stand-ins and teleprompters for their main star (tune in to find out why).
Enjoy a laugh (or two, three, four…) with Kellie, Katy, and Mandy as they discuss a You Tube channel all about dead people, a song that will never, ever, end (or at least not for a thousand years), and the name of the AI who will eventually kill us all. That and a whole lot more is in the first part of this episode.
In the second segment, Beer, Books & Tea, Katy and Kellie discuss the eighth book in the Terry Pratchett Discworld series, Guards! Guards! (Starts at 31:30.) How do an group of obsessive compulsive evil doers handle life when they manifest a soul sucking dragon bent on destroying their home town? Spoiler – not very well. This is possibly the most timely book so far in the series with many of the main themes highlighting what is going on in our world today. Plus it is hysterically funny with possibly the best description of a used bookstore ever.
This week it is a “get to know us” episode. Have you ever wanted to sit at a table with friends, laugh hysterically, and drink horrible beer? Well, we’ve got you covered. Who puts maple syrup in their tea? Who likes ice cream with beer? Who is playing Skyrim for the first time? All this and more, including podcast recommendations, beers you shouldn’t drink, and D&D character creation (lite). Enjoy! And as always – thank you for listening! (Do you have a favorite beer? Can you let us know? Katy would appreciate it.)
Gross news about bugs, facts about coffee naps, a run down of the D23 highlights, and a revelation about which of us would snort chocolate (and MORE) in our first section.
In the second segment (starts at 30:00) Kellie and Katy delve into the wonderful, wacky world of WKRP in Cincinnati. In our fan requested episode we talk about the great friendship between Jennifer and Bailey, how hilarious Les was (Katy is now going to tape off her own office), and how the creators and cast worked together to create a truly great show. Enjoy!
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
In our first segment we chat about Olive Oil Regulations, Critical Role Podcast (yay!), What Remains of Edith Finch, English Heritage You Tube Channel, and the Netflix series, Anne with an E. Kellie also has a fantastic funny news story and we shout out our latest review. Spoilers for the Edith Finch game start at 9:47 and end at 13:21.
Then in our second segment – Beer, Books, & Tea we discuss the seventh book in the Terry Pratchett Discworld series, Pyramids. (Starts at 34:50.) What do math, politics, and a school for assassins have in common? Turns out to be a camel named You Bastard. Once again the Discworld takes the reader on a fantastic journey through our own assumptions, but in this one the message is pretty straightforward – either adopt change or be blown to a different plane of existence.
Have you ever wondered about ranch dressing, english muffins, and jelly beans? We had and we wanted to share what we found out about the history of those foods. It’s some fun stuff, y’all. From cowboy lore, to massive global corporations operating in secret, to ancient foods converted into tiny beans we’ve got you covered. The History of Food segment starts at 37.57 if you want to skip ahead.
We also talk about Neil Gaiman’s new book Norse Mythology, a wonderful article about Dave’s Killer Bread on Modern Farmer (link here), the new Ken doll, and other fun stuff in the first segment. Plus a shout out to one of our listeners. Thank you!!!
This week Wekk went a little crazy. We talk about dieting and ‘carb flu.’ A podcast called Pod Save America is recommended as well as Sense 8 on Netflix. Jill Lepore’s article in the New Yorker on her mother and Jane Franklin (Ben Franklin’s little sister) leads to an intense discussion about how women didn’t get to write their own history. But to make sure we didn’t get too serious we ended the first segment with a news article about a naked man and a swan statue (guess which state…).
For our special segment this week (starting at 36:54) we delve into two of Kellie’s favorite things – Wonder Woman and American Gods. Lots of spoilers with this one. If you haven’t watched Wonder Woman, American Gods discussion starts at 58:46.
This week we start off with a discussion about Imposter Syndrome. Credit to Neil Gaiman who recently blogged about it and prompted the discussion. Katy, Kellie, and Mandy realized they all suffer from it to varying degrees. Then we talk about Monstrous Child by Francesca Simon, Divinity Original Sin II Game Master Mode (so great), a heartwarming story about Ed Hardy (jazz musician and dementia patient), and the new iPhone X.
Then for Growing up 70’s (at the 33.25 mark) Kellie and Katy discuss CHiPs. We may have loved the show as children, but it was a difficult review (and often so hysterical all you hear is wheezing laughter). Enjoy!
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Besides learning more about Kellie than we intended (adding Kellie’s neurosis to the regular segments) Mandy, Katy, and Kellie share the books they want to be reading, the shows they think you should be watching, and discuss some stupid news. Then at the halfway point (34.22 to be exact) they switch to Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett, the next book in the Discworld series. The themes of destiny and truth made this book a bit more serious than the rest, but the underlying magic that is Terry Pratchett raised this book to among the best in the series. Also, Katy, Mandy, and Kellie would like to start a coven…just saying.
Welcome to Wekk 2.0. In our new format you can enjoy a lively discussion of recent news, books, and television in the first half, as well as some great recommendations for podcasts or websites you should know about. Then we’ll give some shout outs to listeners and in the second half we have a special Growing Up 70’s segment on Happy Days. Happy Days was a pivotal show for us. Between the Fonz, Howard and Marion, not to mention Richie Cunningham and the boys, this was an amazing show. We did record this before Erin Moran passed away. She was amazing as Joanie and her contribution was significant.
Quick rundown of the segments and what was discussed: Barbara Gordon Corner (Bill Bryson, Neil Gaiman) Get Smart (New Star Wars animation on You tube, The Originalist, Write Now Podcast) Broadcast News (stupid news) Friday Night Lights (Thank you to our listeners) Growing Up 70’s (Happy Days – starts at marker 28.27 if you want to skip right to that).
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
What makes a hero? Circumstance? Bravery? Being an orangutan? Katy and Kellie chat about the fifth book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series – Sourcery. This one had some heavy themes – end of the world type subjects – and a very frustrating journey for a female lead (frustrating for Kellie and Katy…I’m sure Conina was not bothered).
Katy and Kellie cover The Brady Bunch in this week’s episode. Katy has wonderful memories of watching the show as a kid…Kellie – not so much. Also, Katy drank waaaaaay too much and insults pretty much everyone. She apologizes. And then finally, there is a mini-blip of audio difficulty at the very end, but the conversation was too funny to edit out. Enjoy!!
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
We’ve been doing Wekk for two years! We’ve learned some wonderful things, we’ve met some wonderful people, and we are proud of everything we’ve accomplished. Thank you all for being a part of it!
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/
There are too many stupid news stories on television today so Kellie and Katy decided to share some even stupider news. You’re welcome. *But seriously…these are wacky times. We found some factually true but outrageously funny news stories and hope they put a smile on your face. Listen and laugh with us. **Also, Katy had been drinking beer…and we all know how that turns out. ***Blame Kellie.
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/
Barney Miller was created by improvisational artists and had a cast of talented actors. The show lasted eight seasons and, while female roles were scarce and no one should watch the first season, the impact of the show has lasted for a generation. Kellie and Katy chat about the show and sprinkle in some “Wekk Behind the Scenes.”
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Katy review the fourth book in the Discworld series – Mort. This story tackles serious issues and has some wonderful characters – one of the best character introductions so far. Between a duel in a room full of hourglasses to a giant horse named Binky, there is a lot to talk about.
Katy meditates for the first time and so much more in this week’s episode of Little Things. This week’s question is, “Can Meditation Make You Happy?” Kellie, Kevin, Mandy, and Katy all have different experiences with meditation. Stay tuned all through the end when Kellie suggests a controversial (and potentially R-rated) new question for Little Things. As always, thank you for listening. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a comment!
Soap premiered on ABC on September 13th, 1977. The twisted (and fatalistically unbelievable) lives of the Tates and the Campbells made for four seasons of delicious television. Kellie and Katy discuss the drama which occurred prior to the show airing as well as the many wonderful plot twists the show’s creator, Susan Harris, gifted to 70’s television viewers. This is one of Kellie’s favorite shows and for good reason.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Do you collect anything? We do, did, have in the recent past, and through this conversation discovered so many interesting things about each other. What is a collection? What does it mean to be a collector? Why do we collect? Does it all track back to our ancestors? Listen to the answers to these questions and more (like what country Hello Kitty came from) in this week’s Wekk episode.
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/
This week Kellie and Katy get to chat about Facts of Life, a show request from our friend Joe from the Geektitude podcast. You know you want to sing the song…YOU TAKE THE GOOD YOU TAKE THE BAD!!! Enjoy our run down of our first “mac and cheese” show and, BONUS, you get to hear about a horrible high school photo of Katy and Kellie.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Hello, Wekksters, Wekkites, and Wekk-a-maniacs, it’s Kevin. If you listened to Episode 64 of our main podcast, you know that we previewed the a variety of creative endeavors to be released in 2017 that each of us anticipates. (If you haven’t heard the episode, check it out. If it is half as fun to listen to as it was to record, you’ll definitely enjoy it.)
My part of that episode was to mention the six movies that I anticipated in 2017. The truth is, though, I overdid it a bit. I wound up doing research on much more than six films. Also, I listed my level of anticipation for each film from a scale of 0-5, 5 being the most anticipated. (Yeah, I know. Overkill, right?)
Therefore, without further ado, here is my full list of 2017 movies that I researched along with the YouTube movie trailers links (if any) related to each film.
2/20 The Lego Batman Movie
LEGO has made some great film and video content in the past, and seeing Will Ferrell’s Batman character is most welcome.
ANTICIPATION- 4/5
3/3 Logan
I have very high hopes for this film adaptation of the “Old Man Logan” comics, but since this isn’t done by Marvel Studios, it is still a crap shoot, and we all know how risky non-Marvel films are these days. Only Deadpool can be considered a recent success. If the trailer is any indication, they might have the right formula.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
3/17 – Beauty and the Beast
Um. no. As much as I like Emma Watson in the Belle role, and even though I think it would take a monumental blunder for Disney to screw this up, I am just not that interested. I already saw the animated movie and the play, and that’s all I really need. I will need to see how this looks on Rotten Tomatoes before I ultimately decide, but for now…
ANTICIPATION – 2/5
3/17 Life
Based solely on the trailer, it looks like it may be a cross between ALIEN, Gravity, and The Thing. I hope it has more surprises than that. Still., I’m curious…
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
3/20 Kong: Skull Island
In my first WTF of this previews list, I have to wonder why this was green-lighted. Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” was 12 years ago, so maybe this will be the Jurassic World of 2017. And, it has Tom Hiddleston, but I have to give it…
ANTICIPATION – 1/5
3/24 Power Rangers
Man, am I ever the wrong audience for this crap. But, the fact that Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader are in it might change my mind? Probably not.
ANTICIPATION – 1/5
3/31 Ghost in the Shell
Scarlett Johansson playing a character traditionally thought to be Japanese doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I have high hopes for this, but sometimes my high hopes turn out disappointing me. The trailer so far looks good.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
4/28 – The Circle
THIS is the Emma Watson film I want to see. It has Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt, and Bill “Game Over, Man” Paxton, and with music by Danny Elfman. Based on the Dave Eggers’ book of the same name, how could it lose? We shall see.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
5/5 Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
As I said on the show, the first trailer made me laugh out loud, so I have to think this will battle “Star Wars: Episode 8” for top box office slot.
ANTICIPATION – 5/5 Same as the date of release. Yay!
5/12 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
This Guy Ritchie film looks like a mashup of the movie Excalibur, Sons of Anarchy, and Lord of the Rings. Planned as a six film series (Yes. You read that right. SIX FILMS.) it definitely looks like a Guy Ritchie film if it was set in some alt-universe version of the King Arthur story where men wear hybrid medieval-slash-21st Century clothing. That said…
ANTICIPATION – 3/5
5/19 Alien: Covenant
I’m actually surprised by my tepid response to this trailer. It didn’t impress me as much as I wanted as it looked too much like the first four Alien films rehashed. Even so…
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
5/26 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
This is my Second WTF on my list. I get that people love the Jack Sparrow character, but does Johnny Depp need help with alimony payments? Is he cash poor? I didn’t even watch the last “Pirates” movie, and I probably won’t watch this one unless it gets amazing reviews.
ANTICIPATION – 2/5
6/2 Wonder Woman
BAM! YES! Gal Gadot was the only positive part of Batman V Superman, and I cannot wait to see her solo superhero movie. The early word on this film is disappointing, so I sincerely hope that whatever problems it faces are corrected before release.
ANTICIPATION – 5/5
6/9 The Mummy
I have absolutely no enthusiasm for a Tom Cruise Mummy re-do. This just feels weird.
ANTICIPATION -0/5
6/9 World War Z 2 (Directed by David Fincher.)
While I enjoyed World War Z to a certain extent, it wasn’t enough to want to see a sequel. The ONLY thing that makes me NOT laugh that they’re making this sequel is that David Fincher is directing. So, middling enthusiasm.
ANTICIPATION – 3/5
6/16 Cars 3
I didn’t see Cars 2, so unless I hear that this movie is a must-see, I’ll probably be skipping this one.
ANTICIPATION -1/5
6/23 Transformers: The Last Knight
If you like Transformers movies, then this movie is for you. It is DEFINITELY not for me.
ANTICIPATION – 0/5
6/30 Despicable 3
More Gru, more minions, more Steve Carell, which means more laughs and fun. Not a priority, but I expect it to be as fun as the last two.
ANTICIPATION – 3/5
7/7 Spider-Man: Homecoming
Listen to the podcast for my thoughts on this one. I’m excited. My only other comment is that it looks like the master of the snarky comeback is finally back after a few bumpy films. And Marvel Studios is actually co-producing this one, which is a first.
ANTICIPATION – 5/5
7/14 War for the Planet of the Apes
A serviceable movie series only gets medium excitement from me.
ANTICIPATION – 2/5
7/21 Dunkirk (by Christopher Nolan)
A film about the amazing story of the British Expeditionary Force being routed by the Germans to the coast of Dunkirk, France, and the massiveflotilla of rescue craft sent from England to save the men on the beaches. Besides, I’ll see anything by Christopher Nolan…
ANTICIPATION – 5/5
7/21 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Luc Besson
Okay. This is my most anticipated film that I did not mention on the podcast. Based on a French sci-fi comics series that started in 1967, this is the first filmed adaptation of that beloved sci-fi classic. Directed by The Fifth Element’s Luc Besson, it looks fabulous, and I have high hopes, but looks can be deceiving.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
No Official Trailer Yet
7/28 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Some fans didn’t like that Idris Elba, a “black man,” is playing the character Roland, who many thought was white, but Stephen King himself said it could be either, and he loves Idris Elba, so shut it, critics. I haven’t read the series yet, but this will light the fire of my reading this year. I have a bit of time, and I say, “Go Idris.”
ANTICIPATION – 3/5
10/6 Blade Runner 2049
Alright. Bear with me here. I will be shocking some of my nerd-brethren with my opinion of this film, but until I read that pundits are talking about this as a possible Oscar contender, I see this movie as an abomination and a total money grab. I do not need any Blade Runner nostalgia films mucking up my memory of the original. I’m rarely opposed to sequels, but I oppose this with a passion, which means the film has a very, VERY high bar to reach. The only thing that is not making me give it a ZERO is that Harrison Ford decided to do it, AND Ryan Gosling seems to pick good projects. But in my mind this film has a mountain to climb before it gets me to the acceptance phase. Only time will tell.
ANTICIPATION – 1/5 (Let the dissing and harassment commence.)
No Official Trailer Yet
10/6 Kingsman: The Golden Circle
While I enjoyed the first film as a nice homage to spy films, I felt it never established enough of its own identity. Too much time was spent on the “wink wink nudge nudge, Hey didja catch that Bond reference” reference for my liking. But, if there is one fight scene as cool as the one in the church in the first movie, the sequel will be well worth the price of admission. I just hope they have more of their own catch phrases and style than pulling an Bond reference-fest.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
No Official Trailer Yet
11/3 Thor: Ragnarok
Not much else to add from my comments from the podcast. I am very curious and excited about this film and where this story will lead us. It looks like a nice combo of dark and humorous, so let’s hope that works.
ANTICIPATION – 4/5
11/17 Justice League
Another podcast mention. This movie has more riding on its success than any other movie this year because it may affect whether or not we get more solo DC films. Also, if Wonder Woman under-performs, DC will need this movie to kick ass.
ANTICIPATION – 5/5
No Official Trailer Yet
12/15 Star Wars: Episode VIII
Come on. Do I really have to explain myself on this one? I don’t even know a title and I know I will see this film. Period. It will be bittersweet watching Carrie Fisher’s final work on a Star Wars film. (sigh)
ANTICIPATION – Infinity/5
No Official Trailer Yet
12/22 Jumanji
This is Number Three in my WTF series of WHY THIS FILM? Was this film necessary? NO! I read they are honoring Robin Williams in some way, but what’s next? A n Aladdin reboot? How about a Mrs Doubtfire reboot with Louis C.K.? Why not?
ANTICIPATION – 0/5
Highest paid female you-tuber and 3rd overall, Singh earned $7.5 million, and her Superwoman channel has had 1.5 billion views. Appeared in video with Michelle Obama and was on Jimmy Fallon show. Started by posting videos while a psychology student and struggling with depression. Parents emigrated to Canada from India. She is Toronto born, LA-based. As a role model to women and girls around the globe, Singh created her #GirlLove initiative to break the cycle of girl-on-girl hate and to encourage positivity.
STAR WARS
Empire’s End: Aftermath (Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy) by Chuck Wendig, 2/21/17
Follows Star Wars: Aftermath and Star Wars: Life Debt. Delivers the exhilarating conclusion to the New York Timesbestselling trilogy set in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, 4/11/17
The Star Wars Expanded Universe is dead, but Grand Admiral Thrawn lives on 12/6/16 by Charlie Hall
First introduced in the 1991 best-seller Heir To The Empire, written by prolific science fiction author Timothy Zahn, the blue-skinned alien officer brought something to Star Wars that had never existed before. He was a well-rounded, influential and fascinating villain that didn’t rely on the Force to get ahead. He was as brilliant as he was brutal, and he gave life to the bridge of an Imperial starship.
Quite to my surprise, Rebels’ isn’t putting Thrawn in the background as another Imperial stooge. The third season of the cartoon is actually setting Thrawn up to be the focal point of its narrative arc.
FEMINISM
We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere by Gillian Anderson & Jennifer Nadel 3/7/17
“Imagine a sisterhood—across all creeds and cultures. An unspoken agreement that we, as women, will support and encourage one another. That we will remember we don’t know what struggles each of us may be facing elsewhere in our lives and so we will assume that each of us is doing our best…”
So begins WE: A Manifesto for Women—an inspiring, empowering, and provocative manifesto for change. Change that we can all effect, one woman at a time. Change that provides a crucial and timely antidote to the “have-it-all” superwoman culture and instead focuses on what will make each and every one of us happier and more free. Change that provides an answer to the nagging sense of “is that it?” that almost all of us can succumb to when we wake in the dead of night.
Written by actress Gillian Anderson and journalist Jennifer Nadel—two friends who for the last decade have stumbled along together, learning, failing, crying, laughing, and trying again—WE: A Manifesto for Women is not a theoretical treatise but instead a rallying cry to create a life that has greater meaning and purpose. Combining tools that are practical, psychological, and spiritual, WE: A Manifesto for Women is both a process and a vision for a more fulfilling way of living. And a truly inspiring vision of a happier, more emotionally rewarding future we can all create together.
Pantsuit Nation book proposal by Libby Chamberlain, anticipated May 2017
When Libby Chamberlain, the creator of the pro-Hillary ClintonFacebook group Pantsuit Nation, announced this week that she plans to publish a Pantsuit Nation-themed book, she framed the publication deal as a collective victory for the group. The book, which is scheduled to be published in May by Flatiron Books, will draw on the stories and images from the group, which now has around four million members. In her original announcement on Monday, Ms. Chamberlain encouraged people who want to submit their posts and stories to contact her, and said that she would seek permission from others to use their material.
In a follow-up post addressing irate members on Wednesday, she explained that the proceeds would be used to “support Pantsuit Nation and the causes that are central to the group.” She also said that the Pantsuit Nation nonprofit organizations she is forming will help raise money for other like-minded groups, including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente (Author), Annie Wu (Illustrator), 6/6/17
The lives of six female superheroes and the girlfriends of superheroes. A ferocious riff on women in superhero comics.
From the New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated”: comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero’s storyline will progress.
In an entirely new and original superhero universe, Valente subversively explores these ideas and themes in the superhero genre, treating them with the same love, gravity, and humor as her fairy tales. After all, superheroes are our new fairy tales and these six women have their own stories to share.
Also by by Catherynne M. Valente – The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home Paperback 3/7/17
The H Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic, 5/2/17
The feminist writer investigates what women need to be happy, and how structural problems prevent them from fulfilling those needs. Through conversations with individual women, she suggests solutions and policies that will even the playing field and give women more time to pursue joy.
Captain Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Hero Vol. 3 (3/28/17) & 4 (8/22/17) by Kelly Sue Deconnick et al.
Three-Fifths a Man: A Graphic History of the African American Experience By Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón 9/12/17
This graphic history presents the major events of the African-American experience, from slaves arriving at Jamestown to the successes of the Civil Rights movement.
Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer and Douglas Holgate 1/31/17
In her first graphic novel, bestselling author Marissa Meyer extends the world of the Lunar Chronicles with a brand-new,action-packed story about Iko, the android with a heart of (mechanized) gold.With appearances by Cinder, Cress, Scarlet, Winter, and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the bestselling series.
“It’s my best of the year, but you can’t read it yet: Steve Erickson’s jaw-dropping next novel, Shadowbahn, which concerns the phantasmic reappearance of the Twin Towers in the Badlands of South Dakota, accompanied by the resurrection of Elvis Presley’s twin brother Jesse. And anyone who approaches the Towers hears music – but not the same song. Into this radical audacity Erickson also weaves an intensely-personal self-reckoning, a playlist for the dying American century, and his usual lucid-dreaming prose.
I’ve read every novel he’s ever written and I’ll still never know how he does it; Erickson’s not so much a writer’s writer as a tour-de-forcer’s tour-de-forcer.”
The Idiot Elif Batuman 3/14/17
These Are TIME’s Most Anticipated Books of 2017 by Sarah Begley12/24/16
Amiable with Big Teeth By Claude McKayEdited by Jean-Christophe Cloutier and Brent Hayes Edwards
A monumental literary event: the newly discovered final novel by seminal Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay, a rich and multilayered portrayal of life in 1930s Harlem and a historical protest for black freedom.
Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin review the top 6 things they are excited for in 2017. We each picked a topic and none of us (except for Kellie) stuck with our original six. Enjoy!
See a second post with the codex and links for everything we mentioned in this podcast (especially the 18 million books Mandy talks about).
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/
More Discworld joy and this time Kellie and Katy have a surprise guest – Mandy! The third book in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is called Equal Rites and was first published in 1987. It is a love letter to brave little girls. Listen in for the rundown of our favorite things about the book, but stay tuned for an interesting discussion about how our view of equal rights for women has changed over the years. Enjoy!
Schoolhouse Rock debuted January 6th, 1973 and has a wonderful story about why and for who it was created. Kellie and Katy dish about their love for these wonderful shows. Listen and enjoy as they sing their way through a surprisingly personal…and timely…episode.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
In our first Little Things episode we chat about happy. What is happy? What does it mean to feel happy? Is happy worth seeking? And if so, how do you become happy when you are not? This series will be all about the different ways/advice/techniques there are to become happy and if any of them work. We might try a familiar method and we might come up with our own. So listen in to our personal journeys as we tackle the challenge of finding happy.
Admit it. You only watch The Phantom Menace is to see me fighting Jedi.
Man, I really love villains! The more horrible, scary, and sadistic the bad guy in a fictional story, the better. For me, watching a movie with the classic “hero versus villain” plot, is great. But if the villain sucks, then the hero’s victory is not as impressive, right?
I have always felt that an action-adventure story is only as good as the villain who opposes the heroes, and there have been some iconic villains in comics and action movies: Hans Gruber, The Joker, Ultron, Red Skull, Mr. Smith, Khan, Sauron, Trump (ahem,) and many more.
Marvel or DC? Nintendo or Playstation? Good or evil? I guess I’ll never know.
So, the question must be asked, why do I have such a fixation with the villains of my various fandoms? Is there a repressed super-villain hiding inside me? Do I secretly desire to be evil?
Well, I believe it has to do with my childhood. I was a goody-good in school. I never broke the rules, I always listened to my elders, and I pretty much stayed out of trouble. Yes, I know. Really f***ing boring, if you ask older me. But I never had teachers telling me I had an attitude problem, or anyone calling my parents because I had trashed the yet another classroom. Never happened.
In fact, I was so good that it became an ingrained part of my being. I would read comics and root enthusiastically for Superman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, or Spider-Man, all to defeat the bad guys, and I’d always feel that sense of righteous satisfaction when the bad guy got his comeuppance. (That was long before I enjoyed seeing the hero get his ass handed to him.)
Ah, the days when an 11 year old son of a scientist can beat up a human adult in SCUBA gear. (sigh)
In every TV cartoon, I would root for the good guys. In Jonny Quest, I wanted those evil frogmen to be vanquished. On Scooby Doo, I wanted the bad guy caught and the mystery revealed. And during the early 70s Batman and Robin cartoons, I wanted The Joker, The Penguin, and the Ice Man, all stopped from achieving their dastardly plans.
Then, a strange thing happened to me on the way to the Forum. (Obscure reference.)
I find your faith disturbingly similar to a recently elected, orange-faced President.
One movie changed my view of villains forever, and that movie was the first Star Wars film. When Star Wars came out in 1977, the new villain of the national zeitgeist was Darth Vader. Here, we had a scary villain who could kill you either with his bare hands, or simply by using the Force to strangle a foe from afar. He wore all black, his helmet had a samurai style to it, his voice was mechanical and unnerving, and he had a respirator wheeze that just made him seem so much scarier than any villain I had ever seen. (Except maybe for Richard Nixon.)
It was the first villain I actually liked more than the hero, and that’s saying something. Luke was so annoying for the first half of that film. (I’ll tell you where you can put Tosche Station and those power converters, ya little runt.)
Anyway, I was attracted to Vader’s look, his manner, and he easily had the best lines in the film, such as “You are PAWT of the Rebel Alliance and a TRAITOR. Take her away!” and “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” When Tarkin yells “Enough of this. Vader, release him,” part of me wanted to see just how far Vader would go. Would Vader have actually choked the Imperial officer to death in front of Tarkin at that conference table to silence the braggart? Sadly, we’ll never know.
And not a single figure with elbow or knee joints. Zombie walkers. All of them.
This was when I would go to the toy section of my local Sears as a kid (because Sears had everything,) and I’d only look at the Darth Vader or Stormtrooper toys. And here comes the “why” of the earlier question: I gravitated to these villainous toys because I could get a small taste of what it was like to be bad without actually BEING bad.
How cool is that? (Or, how disturbing?)
I could imagine I was Darth Vader during recess at school, making wheezing sounds inside my cupped hands, and then when the bell rang, I’d go back to the classroom and revert back to the goody-good I really was. (Ugh.)
Maybe it was the part of my insides that cried out to be bad getting a little love. I don’t know. At any rate, this fascination with fictional villainy has been carried with me to adulthood.
Now, whenever I am in a comic book store and I look at the paraphernalia of comics or movies, I will always gravitate to the villain’s gadgets, figures, and statues. Just a few days ago, I purchased a wizard’s wand from the Harry Potter universe, and you can guess which wand I chose.
13 1/2 inches of pure evil, I am. Killed Cedric Diggory & Harry’s parents, I did, I did.
Yes. The wand of Lord Voldemort (unofficially known as “Gerald.” No one knows why.) from the films was the only wand I cared to own because it’s so freaking cool. It looked much better than Harry Potter’s wand, and even the Elder Wand looks like it has boils. Voldemort’s wand looks properly scary, with it’s bone-like construction, and the curl at the end for the pinky finger. Such a beautiful design for a wand used by the ultimate dark lord of all evil wizards.
But villains are typically my go-to fandom purchases. Whenever I look at Star Wars products, I only want items with Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, Darth Maul, the Empire symbol, etc. (Don’t give me the good guys because the good guys are boring. I should know.) Yes, I root for the good guys, but if I want to buy a figure, I always go the dark route. Buying the good guys would be like… like… well, like buying a figure of my mother. While good will (and should) always triumph over evil, evil is far more interesting to cosplay.
When it’s Lord of the Rings products, don’t give me Aragorn. Give me Sauron! When it’s The Avengers, give me Ultron, Loki, or Doctor Doom. If it’s Green Lantern… Okay. I do want Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern ring because I love Green Lantern. However, I am also interested in the Red Lantern ring of Atrocitus, because why the hell not? (And none of that yellow ring BS. Harnessing your fear as a strength? Lame.)
Anyway, I think this is a healthy expression for a kid. (I mean, who didn’t love Mini-Me?”) As long as the child knows that these are fictional bad guys and to keep our fascination of fictional villains to our enjoyment of our fandoms while remaining good people in real life, everything is fine. It’s one thing to buy a piece of merch for Darth Vader, but completely different if that item celebrates real villainy, like Gordon Ramsey or Sesame Street’s Bert. (shudder)
To me, I will always root for the heroes of any comic book, novel, TV show, or movie, because of my deep-seeded, inner goodness. (I know. I know. Vomit-city. But you’ll know exactly who to trust when the zombie apocalypse begins, and I can handle a mean axe blade.) But if I really want to have fun, I will focus on the villains in my collectibles because it’s so good to occasionally be bad, right? Anyone?… Beuller?…
What do Les Miserables and The Incredible Hulk (the 70’s television show) have in common? Quite a lot. Katy and Kellie break it down for you and then get sidetracked in a game of Avenger – Marry, Kill and Fornicate. It is informational in a way only a couple of geeks can manage. Warning – you will laugh and there is science discussion. Proceed at your own risk.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
The gang is back together again!!!! This time we’re talking about Superhero Origin Movies – what we like, what we don’t, and what stories we hope they will make into films. From Batman Begins to Guardians of the Galaxy, Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin cover as many as they can think of. And if you’ve heard of Cindy Moon and America Chavez (also Kate Bishop) we also talk about the female superhero movies we want filmmakers to focus on. Enjoy!
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/
Book Two of the Discworld Series – The Light Fantastic. Kellie sums it up in one sentence – “One act in college can ruin your whole life.” Join Katy and Kellie as they break down the story, one trope at at time, and go on and on about how much they loved the book.
In 1928 two gentleman went on a hunt for a mysterious berry rumored to be the sweetest, most sensational berry ever invented. What they found changed an entire community and the lives of millions. From the humble origins on a Napa valley farm to the shining star of a famous amusement park, Mandy and Katy share the fascinatingly sweet story of the humble boysenberry.
Mandy and Kevin chat with authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris about their new YA novel, “The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh,” as well as their Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Pip and Tee talk about their busy schedule, transitioning from general fiction to the young adult market, and then the conversation touches on social media misogyny and Gamergate, New Zealand suffragettes, Pip’s author fan-crushes, and why Tee Morris is planning to cosplay as a woman wearing a catsuit. It’s a fast-paced hour with two very fun and entertaining people.
Tune in to the last episode of Series Two as we hear Kellie and Kevin discussing all the feels, the 3D glasses, the alternate universes, and Kevin’s subconscious obsession with “a leather room.” Find out what that’s all about in this new episode.
The classic 70’s mystery special with Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James. Listen in to hear what Katy and Kellie thought of the show (and determine how many sound effects Katy’s house can produce).
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
In this first part of a two-parter, this is a solo podcast with Kevin, who talks about Torchwood, a giant hovering sphere, and The Doctor taking jabs at Jackie just for the pleasure of it. Listen in and follow along.
Join Katy and Kellie as they gush about how much they loved Welcome Back Kotter (Katy never once pronounces that correctly…you can blame the 1/2 of the 1/2 beer she was drinking while recording). Hear facts about the show, speculation about what went wrong, and why Katy and Kellie should NEVER be allowed around celebrities. Enjoy!
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Katy dive into the wonderful world Terry Pratchett created by reading the first in a long, long series of books. Katy had never heard of these books (which admittedly makes her an idiot), and Kellie hadn’t read them in a long time, so we hope you enjoy this fresh fun review/recap/discussion/intense giggling laughter at about the hour mark, because Kellie does something ridiculous and inspired…basically it is almost two hours of two people enjoying the heck out of a book. (You should read it…The Color of Magic, by Terry Pratchett…don’t wait…go get it…you’ll enjoy it…we promise…and then all our gabbing will make some kind of weird sense…)
In a reverse of our last episode, our review of “Fear Her” is a veritable love fest for a quality Doctor Who episode. The Doctor and Rose go to future 2012 to see the London 2012 Olympics. But children are disappearing, and our heroes investigate. A fun episode that gets far too much criticism than it deserves. Enjoy.
Slow jazz and hard lives. Throw in a splash of humor and a terrible boss and you have the world of Taxi. Kellie and Katy discuss the incredible actors and the range of storytelling that Taxi was famous for…as well as Katy’s envy over Marilu Henner’s fantastic memory skills.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
In this podcast episode, Kellie and Kevin review Love and Monsters, an episode that people either love or hate. This is a very passionate podcast, as one of the co-hosts really, really didn’t like it. Find out which one hated the episode and tune in for some fun, spirited chat.
Mandy and Kevin co-host a new interview podcast called Wekk Conversations. This podcast debuts with our friend, Joe Hogan, the mind and voice behind the Geektitude Podcast. We discuss the definition of “Geektitude,” the upcoming Nerd Con 2016 (which Wekk co-hosts will all be attending,) and lots of general Geektitude.
(WARNING: The audio was giving me [Kevin] fits, so if it sounds strange, blame Skype.)
This week is a short rant due to scheduling. Kevin takes you through a bit of what he thinks of the podcast so far, he explains that he doesn’t hate Doctor Who despite many reviews bagging on characters and plots, but more importantly, he talks about Steven Moffat, the current Doctor Who show-runner and whether or not he deserves the scorn so often thrown his way. You may agree or disagree, but this is unadulterated Kevin without an ounce of filter. (Okay. We have a swear filter on him because if we didn’t, this podcast would be very naughty. lol)
A big thank you to Philippe from the Average Geek Show for requesting this. It is possibly our favorite 70’s episode yet. Kellie and Katy go into extensive detail on All in the Family: the actors, producers, set design. And we share our thoughts as to why the show couldn’t be made today…or why we think we are living it. Warning, this episode gets a little political…not too much, but a little.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Kevin rip into the Part Two episode,”The Satan Pit,” and they offer up their fun picks for who they would like to see play The Doctor in the future. Kellie also reads off a list of the odd-on favorites for the role. See if you agree with our suggestions. Enjoy!
We’ve all done something terrible…and, in Mandy’s case, caught something terrible…and we’re stuck in our houses. What is there to do but binge our favorite shows? Kevin, Kellie, Katy, and Mandy share the top eight shows to binge (and if you’re Mandy you have fourteen in reserve, just in case), and trust us when we say, you haven’t heard of some of these…especially that one…
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. Visit her at http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/ Go there, she’s really cool.
Black Holes, and Demons, and Oods. OH MY! Check out Part One of this two-parter where The Doctor and Rose get stranded on a rocky planet that is orbiting ridiculously close to a black hole. Kellie and Kevin go thru an episode whose theme has the subtlety of a giant mallet to the head. And learn about the mysterious and strange aliens called the Ood.
As Kevin says at the beginning of this episode, we’ve commandeered some floo powder and have decided to travel to our favorite fictional movie worlds. Where did we go? Spoiler – Kellie is a little out of character with her choices…we expected something darker…and Katy didn’t follow the instructions…and Mandy’s dreams are weird…
Music courtesy of Alex Brandenburg. Visit her at http://www.alexbrandenburgmusic.com/ Go there, she’s really cool.
**This episode was recorded a few weeks ago, before Garry Marshall passed. We talk about him and his genius a little bit, but need to discuss it more. We’ll save that for the Happy Days episode. Until then, enjoy…
It is quite possible that Katy and Kellie liked Laverne and Shirley too much. There is a lot of gushing…you’ve been warned. Thankfully there are also a few behind the scenes details you might not have known, like what the heck was that song they sang as they skipped down the street in the opening credits?
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Kevin talk about Pokemon Go a bit before really diving into this episode set in 1953 London. Does RTD hate Rose? Did the screenwriters make The Doctor into the doofus this episode? Why did they make the father so one-dimensional? And the main question; How does one breathe without a face? These and other topics discussed in lavish detail on this week’s review.
The whole gang is back for this week’s episode – Top 8 things you have to do in Disneyland…no, really, you have to do these things…all of them…don’t feel pressured or anything, but you’ll really regret it if you don’t…especially all the extra ones we threw in at the end so it is more like the top 20 things you have to do in Disneyland…you’re welcome.
The finale of a two-parter involving cybermen, mass mind-control, a version of Mickey that is finally heroic, Barty Crouch, (hint to you Harry Potter fans,) and Rose… What can we say about Rose other than she’s Rose?
This one was really fun to record, as it is big story of planetary invasion, but it has some of the more sad and depressing moments of the show so far. But we plow through it all. Relive all of the majesty (or misery, depending on your tastes,) of… The Age of Steel!
Are you taking a Road Trip this summer? Kellie, Katy, and Mandy are here to help you survive it. It should come as no surprise that each of them defined this differently, to hilarious effect.
Remember to drop us a review if you enjoyed the episode. It will help others find us. And if you have an idea for a Top 8 episode let us know!
Hey! It’s our 21st episode, so we’re old enough to drink! Raise a glass in the Whovian spirit as Kellie and Kevin review Part One of the reboot’s introduction to the classic Doctor Who villains, the Cybermen.
They both talk about British shows they like in between the reviews, so strap in, make sure your seats and tray tables are in the upright position, because we are jumping the time vortex to dimensions UNKNOWN.
And don’t forget next week’s episode, Part Two of the story, “Age of Steel.”
Da-na-na-na-na-na-na…Da-na-na-na-na-na-na Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run really fast while in slow motion? Truthfully, neither have we, but Kellie and Katy had to consider this while reviewing Bionic Woman. Spoiler: Katy may have watched the wrong episode.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
This week we talk about animation and our conversation wanders from Saturday morning cartoons to non-photorealistic rendering (and photorealistic rendering) to video games to painted cells. Below are some links to just some of the things we talk about.
“The Girl in the Fireplace” is quite literally a romp through time and space. Listen to Kellie and Kevin discuss this fan-favorite episode where we are introduced to a very famous figure in French history. There’s romance, there’s silliness, and there’s Mickey fore-shadowing events to come with his ineptitude. Enjoy, Whovians!
Bewitched is comfort food. Bewitched is happiness. Bewitched is fun. All these things and more. This was a listener request and so fun to talk about. Katy found some background on why there were two Darrins and Kellie Mom Poll is the best.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Kevin review “School Reunion,” which features the return of Classic Who characters, Sarah Jane Smith and K9. Kellie gushes over Anthony Stewart Head’s role as a headmaster, and Kevin reminisces about watching Tom Baker with Elisabeth Sladen as “Sarah Jane.” It’s a fun look back at a popular companion in a new setting. And what is up with that yellow ooze?
We haven’t seen each other in a while so we took the time to hear what each other was up to. Warcraft movie, Drunks and Dragon’s podcast, Peaky Blinders binge watching, We’re Alive – Lockdown, Unspeakable Words, Lady Dynamite, and Nuts….so many nuts.
This is a shorter, non-review episode made because Kellie was not with us this week. We pre-recorded her at the beginning and end, and in the middle, “future” Kevin rants and raves about various parts of fandoms that try his patience a bit, and he talks a bit about Doctor Who news.
We’ve reviewed ten shows so we thought it was time to rank our favorites. What had the best theme song, credit sequence, style, guest stars, and many, many more…
The shows we’ve discussed so far:
The Love Boat, The Hardy Boys, The Carol Burnett Show, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, Emergency!, The Odd Couple, Scooby Doo Where Are You?, Little House on the Prairie, and The Bob Newhart Show.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
CARTOONS!!! Finally, Kellie and Katy discuss shows that really matter. Oddly enough, the original Scooby Doo only aired for twenty-five episodes over two seasons, but those fantastic mystery machine episodes sparked something in all who watched and none of us were ever able to let it go.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
On this Series Two episode, we dive straight into the horror of werewolves on Doctor Who with “Tooth and Claw.” Kellie and Kevin pepper this episode with lots of trivia about the making of this episode as well as some tidbits about a few of the actors in this one. Thanks for listening, and please don’t forget to Like our Facebook page.
Remember The Odd Couple? No, not that one, that one. No, the other one. Yes, the television show in the 70’s with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall.
It started as a play (by Neil Simon) became a movie (with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau) and was translated to television with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall in the 70’s. Katy and Kellie discuss this and more (like why there wasn’t a hallway on the set in season 2) in this weeks episode.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Welcome to Wekk Whovians’ premiere episode review of Series Two’s “New Earth.” This is the first series of new lead actor, David Tennant, who arguably becomes the Whoniverse’s most popular Doctor. Listen as Kellie and Kevin decipher the conundrum of the cat-nuns, the return of a recent foe, the total redemption of Rose as a character, and some interesting and divergent commentary.
The Doctor has a new face, he hasn’t finished cooking yet, and evil robot Santas want to kill him in his jammies. Kellie and Kevin go over the first Xmas Special of the Doctor Who reboot, and while they are at it, they discuss what they know (or don’t know) about British politics. (Any corrections should be mentioned in the comments section of our Wekk Whovians Facebook site, sent to our Twitter account, @WekkWhovians, or sent to our email, wekkwhovians@gmail.com. Thank you, and go easy on us poor Americans. We try.)
Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin chat about their favorite comedians in this super fun episode. Kellie shares how much she loves a podcast called The Monster Hunters and Mandy talks about a new app called Laugh.ly. After that we get sidetracked (and do some fabulous singing) talking about Stephen Lynch, Christine Lavin, Phil Hendrie, and of course Ray Stevens (you’re welcome for the impromptu harmony).
Then we go around and share our favorite comedians – Steve Martin, George Carlin, Ellen DeGeneres, and Patton Oswalt. And then we go a little crazy and talk about a whole bunch more people – Amy Schumer, Nikki Glaser, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Phyllis Diller, Gilda Radner, Bill Hicks, Larry the Cable Guy, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Ron White (possibly a relative of Kellie…we’re not sure…we are, but we aren’t saying), Eddie Izzard and SO MANY MORE………….
Kellie, Kevin, and our special guest from the Dumbbells & Dragons Podcast, Kenny Rotter, gather to review Series One of the Doctor Who reboot. It’s a funny and opinionated episode, and it is worth your time to sit back and enjoy the summation of Series One.
Note: The audio levels were giving me (Kevin) a bit of trouble, but I did my best to level everything out. Just be forewarned that some of the show has patchy volume, but everything can be heard. If you have any questions or concerns, leave a comment on the website, WekkPodcast.com.
This week’s episode is all about Little House on the Prairie, which premiered on television in 1974. Peppered in between the facts, and some episode run downs, are revelations Katy had about her childhood (and why she didn’t watch the show when the episodes first aired). Also, in this episode you get some behind the scenes about how we pick the shows we’re going to talk about.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
In this mini episode we talk about quite a few things, but mostly Katy gushes over Supernatural (and properly exposes herself as a super huge Supernatural nerd). We also, briefly, talk about The Flash, Game of Thrones, Mandy’s guest spot on Geektitude (with Joe Hogan), Critical Role, and Don Delillo’s new book.
The Bob Newhart Show was a marvelous example of intelligent comedy, amazing characters, and strong women. Premiering in 1972 it launched the careers of several of its stars and guest stars. Kellie and Katy talk about what they loved about the show as well as some behind the scenes information about the cast and crew.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
We love both Marvel and DC for different reasons and given that Captain America Civil War has just been released we spent an entire episode talking about what we like about both universes. Do we have favorite characters? Are there characters we long to see in film? Will there ever be a Marvel DC Crossover again? Kevin also goes into a bit of the history behind SHAZAM, which is fascinating, and incredibly relevant given the things happening in comics and movies today.
The Rockford Files was amazing. It was an amazing show. James Garner was amazing (and beautiful). This episode involves a lot of gushing about how fabulous this show and its star was. Also – Kellie reveals how she met James Garner…when she was five…Katy is now extremely jealous.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Happy International Table Top Day! To celebrate this lovely day (created by Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day) we thought we’d theme this week’s episode around table top games. As usual we head off onto a few fun tangents, but we mostly keep on course. Tune in to hear all about a fun podcast called A Toast to Tabletop as well as lots and lots of other fun places to get games.
Also – we created our own games and you can create yours too with our easy Wekk-Question creator tool (which is really just Katy asking you a series of questions). Enjoy!
Lynda Carter is gorgeous. I think we’ve said enough. But if we wanted to add more I guess we should say that Wonder Woman was campy fun. Katy and Kellie learned some surprising things about this show, such as the fact that the first season was set in the 40’s, but the last two were set in the 70’s. From the music to the credits – pretty much everything except for the plastic doll in the invisible plane – was pure comic book cheese…and we loved it.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Remember that show with cute paramedics and overly serious doctors? Emergency! first aired in 1972 and continued until 1979. Katy and Kellie chat about how much of it they didn’t remember. Katy’s memory pretty much stopped at how cute John Gage was. Kellie, of course, remembered more. (This was also an episode where one half of a ginger beer was taking its toll on Katy.) So lots of facts and very little context. Enjoy!
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
We all like to read, but we all gravitate toward different things, so starting with this reads we each brought something to share. Kellie shared her love for all things Harley Quinn, Kevin discussed The Killing Joke, Katy went into way too much detail about The Star Maker (and Freeman Dyson, Dyson Sphere, Kepler Mission…way too much), and Mandy told us all about a news site called Civil Eats.
We also had some fun news stories. Here are some links if you want more information:
Kellie and Kevin wrap up Series One with the rousing excitement of “The Parting of the Ways,” where there are Daleks, and battles, and deaths… OH MY! Find out what Bad Wolf really means, how this is Rose’s greatest moment so far on the show, and how Barcelona figures into the episode.
NOTES:
1. Yes, we were oh so very ignorant of the Dalek Emperor’s origins, dear Whovians. The Dalek Emperor debuted on TV in the 1966 2nd Doctor story, “The Evil of the Daleks,” but its true debut was in 1964 on a series of collectible cards printed with packs of “sweet cigarettes” by the Cadet Sweets confectionary company. The two stories in the 50 card set were called “Doctor Who and the Daleks.” Trivia Achievement Earned!
2. David Tennant is listed as “Doctor Who” in the end credits, and this is the first and last time Tennant is listed that way in the show. In every subsequent episode, Tennant is listed as “The Doctor,” as the role had been billed for the last decade or so of the classic series.
Kellie and Kevin review the penultimate episode of Series One, “Bad Wolf,” which is Part One of a two-part finale that they liked very much. The episode features British TV shows you may have heard of, Kevin gets a bit OCD on the details, as always, and the tension is cranked up as they head toward the finale of the Ninth Doctor. Enjoy.
Kellie and Kevin review “Boom Town,” where they revisit a villain from the recent past, they discuss Kellie’s knowledge (and Kevin’s lack of knowledge) of Cardiff and the show’s infamous “Cardiff Rift,” and finally, Kevin proves that he wouldn’t know an eggplant if it smacked him in the face. There are laughs galore on a quite enjoyable Wekk Whovians episode.
Spoiler – we love The Carol Burnett Show. There are some shows that are good no matter what decade you watch them. Katy and Kellie dish about all the reasons they love what Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, and Vicky Lawrence do, as well as discuss Carol Burnett’s book, This Time Together. We also continue to add segments to our podcast, including – What are we drinking? – and Katy once again proves she’s an amazing lightweight.
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Kellie and Kevin tackle Part Two of the two-parter episode where The Doctor, Rose,and Captain Jack must solve the mystery of the gas-masked people in 1940 England during The Blitz. Find out who our Wekksters think is the big jerk of the episode, and who is utterly amazing.
For our second travel themed episode we talk all about a city we love. Ours is mostly from a tourist perspective, since none of us live there, but we peppered the conversation with a fun trivia contest – and *spoiler we never figured out the winner…they probably all tied.
Remember The Hardy Boys? Didn’t we all have crushes on Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy? Or was that just Kellie and Katy? I’m pretty sure we weren’t alone. In this episode we find out that it might have been better to leave this one way back in our youthful memories, however, we did learn that Kellie’s mom might have been hiding something about her “other mother.” As per usual we discuss the clothes, the credits, the cast, and the stories (as well as the editing and the scene with Frank in his underwear).
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Are you already singing The Love Boat theme? We know you are. We did, too. Every day, for a week before we recorded this. In our first episode of Growing up 70’s Kellie and Katy have things to say about The Love Boat. They have opinions on the clothes, the cast, and the stories. They also invited their moms to participate in a segment they like to call “The Mom Poll.”
“Growing Up 70’s” is all about the television shows that shaped our youth. If you have ideas on what shows Kellie and Katy should cover, be sure to email them at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. The only requirement is that the show had to have first run episodes that aired in the 70’s.
Welcome to our second challenge – five servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. For some of us it was easy and for others nigh impossible, but everyone learned something. We were once again joined by Kenny Rotter from Dumbbells and Dragons and Joe Hogan from Geektitude.
The Wekk team also got together the next week to talk about the challenge some more and this podcast is a conglomeration of the two.
Kellie and Kevin review Part One of the epic two-parter that introduces us to the charming and mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, and possibly the scariest storyline of the Eccleston era. We get a creepy gas-masked child, creepy gas-masked adults, we see London during The Blitz, and it’s probably the first Wekk Whovian episode review where we don’t really have anything jokey to say about the plot. We loved it, and we hope you love this revisit to the “onion-peeling” of Captain Jack Harkness. (There are many layers, but we only peeled away two.)
Notes:
Kevin begins to refer to The Blitz as being in 1940, but he corrects himself. It actually occurred between Sept 1940 to May 1941.
Yes, after correcting himself, Kevin does start to say Dr. Constantine’s name wrong again.
Finally, the “U-Boat Captain” reference that Kellie mentioned comes when Jack refers to Rose as “flag girl,” due to her Union Jack t-shirt, and Jack refers to The Doctor’s clothing as the style of a “U-Boat Captain.” He’s mocking their lack of ability to blend in with the local environment.
It’s our 50th episode! Woot! To celebrate we invited our friends Joe Hogan of the Geektitude podcast and Kenny Rotter of Dumbbells and Dragons to chat with us about dragons. DRAGONS! We discuss our favorite movies, books, and websites. We talk about whether dragons who talk are better than dragons who don’t. We even sing some Peter, Paul, and Mary and a few lyrics from Pete’s Dragon. Trust us…this is all star. Who remembers Trogdor the Burninator? Spoiler – Only Kevin, Kenny and Joe did. Tune in for this and much, much more. And listen to Joe and Kenny’s podcasts, because they are awesome…or Wekk (if you speak Canadian).
Once again we dive into podcasts and pick our favorites to share with you. Mandy chose a listener recommendation – Dear Sugar Radio and we talked about all the great advice Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond give to their listeners. Kellie had us listen to Scott Sigler‘s audio recordings of his books and his Friday Fix podcasts. Kevin introduced us to Full of Sith Podcast and we all learned some fun facts about Star Wars. And then finally, Katy pointed us to Women at Warp and we tapped into our inner Star Trek geekiness. It was another great round of podcasts and we’re glad we get to share it with you.
If you have podcasts you’d like us to listen to email us at wekkpodcast@gmail.com. Follow us at Twitter @wekkpodast or on Facebook.
Katy, Kellie, Kevin, and Mandy attempt to answer the tough travel questions – where do we want to go and where would we go if we could only travel one more time? Have you ever wondered why there’s an ATM in Antartica (which sounds like a great title for a novel…you’re welcome) then you must listen to this episode.
Kellie and Kevin delve into the magical world of 1987… chock full of big hair, Miami Vice suits, and Rose Tyler’s mistakes. This episode should actually be renamed “It’s Rose’s Fault,” as she nearly destroys the Earth. Listen to find out if Rose redeems herself and how we feel about cell phone technology in the 1980s.
For our first nutrition-focused podcast we challenged ourselves to reduce our intake of sodium. Katy, Kellie, and Kevin all tried in their own way to cut back. Some days we were more successful than others. Some meals were excellent (and others not so much). And some of us had garlic fries and a club sandwich before a long plane flight. With help, guidance, and encouragement from Mandy we did learn some new techniques and made some long lasting changes. (We also shared those secret foods that we will never give up.)
In this discussion, Kellie and Kevin dissect “The Long Game,” with special guest star (who wasn’t widely known in America yet,) Simon Pegg, who plays a powerful man with a powerful secret. Does Rose finally impress The Doctor? What’s that thing stuck to the ceiling? Is Adam just a curious, or is he an opportunist? These questions and nore are answered on this week’s episode.
We delve into fan fiction in this week’s episode. Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin all share (and potentially, hysterically, overshare) what fandoms they love the most (Star Trek, Veronica Mars, X-Files…) and discover that they know more about fan fiction then they originally thought. In the course of the discussion we covered so many great websites and sources that the link list below long, but they are all worth checking out. Bottom line, in our opinion, if you want to write fan fiction, do it, and have fun…and then link us to what you post.
Kellie and Kevin have more laughs yet as they discuss the 2005 reboot’s introduction of Doctor Who’s most infamous villain, the Dalek. Listen as Kevin read parts of the dialogue and approximates his best Dalek impersonation. Parts of this episode should really be titled “Wekk Whovian Radio Theater.” Enjoy.
Kellie and Kevin discuss Part Two of the Slitheen Invasion of London in this entertaining episode. Listen as they name the actors who have played The Doctor over the years on TV (and on film.) Also, they wanted to throw a little love toward the Film Editor of this episode, Mike Jones, for making Kevin’s heart race even when he knew the good guys were safe. Thanks, Mike. You did a great job.
Kellie and Kevin review Series One Episode 04, “Aliens of London,” Part One of a two-parter where London receives an unexpected guest; a spaceship crashed into the River Thames. We are still waiting for Jackie and Mickey to redeem themselves as characters early on, and we are introduced to one of Kellie’s favorite characters of the reboot so far: Harriet Jones.
On Episode 03 of Wekk Whovians, Kellie and Kevin follow The Doctor and Rose to the late 19th Century where the dead are rising, and Charles Dickens shows up to help them deduce the cause.
In this month’s Chatter episode we discuss Hackers. Kellie leads the conversation with a review of the show Mr. Robot, and then Kevin, Katy, and Mandy join in. Sprinkled in between serious discussion are hilarious mentions of real dolls and George Washington wigs….(you’re welcome). Listen in if you want ideas on how to foil hackers including showering with your clothes on and infecting all touch pads. Also, big thank you to Alex Brandenburg for our music. Thanks Alex!
On this episode of Wekk Whovians, Kellie and Kevin explore the far reaches of time as our heroes, The Doctor and Rose, visit a space platform where a diabolical scheme threatens to kill all on board. Find out who claims to be the last human alive. What is the real name of that blue-faced plumber? And does a cellphone work if no cell towers exist? Loads of jiggery-pokery to be found here.
For this Wekk Imagines episode we decided to tackle the subject of Worldbuilding: our favorite literature (Philip Pullman, Tad Williams, L. Frank Baum, Piers Anthony), games (Dead of Winter, Dungeons and Dragons, Dragon Age), and television/movies (Star Wars, Star Trek, Killjoys, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica). We talk about what we feel are the essentials of world building and why sometimes it doesn’t work. As usual, hilarity ensues, and we learn essential Kellie backstory (hint: it has to do with her opinion on gum).
Kellie and Kevin review the opening episode of the 2005 reboot of “Doctor Who.” Hear their take on the new Doctor, the new companion, and hear them try to figure out why anyone in their right mind would trust this strange man in the leather jacket.
On this Reads episode Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin discuss Cinder by Marissa Meyer (and pronounce Peony several different ways). It was a fun read we all enjoyed, but it was even more fun to talk about afterward. Did we like Kai? Who would be the best voice actor for Iko? What the heck did Cinder look like? What does it mean to be a cyborg? We answer these questions and more.
Kevin and Kellie team up for a new weekly show about the British sci-fi TV show, Doctor Who. Every week, they will dissect one episode of Doctor Who, starting with the 2005 reboot, starring Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. New fans and long-time Whovians alike will enjoy this entertaining journey back to the beginning of the resurgence in Doctor Who popularity.
In this episode, Kevin and Kellie discuss how they became fans of the show, their favorite characters and villains, and they give a preview of what’s to come.
Kellie and Kevin once again (and for the last time this season) let us know what is coming up in the next episode. Starting next week we will begin our regular weekly episodes, so enjoy the last “Sponsored by” ad by Kellie.
In this month’s Listens we review four podcasts we love. Katy talks about Disney Story Origins, Kellie brought us Once and Future Nerd, Kevin told us about FeaB, and Mandy recommended Women of Marvel. They were all great.
Holiday entertainment is some of the best ever. Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin all have their favorites (favorite movies, books, and music). With much laughter and many opinions let’s discuss.
In our first Wekk Imagines episode Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin chat about female superheroes. We discuss everyone from Wonder Woman to Daisy on Agents of Shield, television to movies, comic book origins to future incarnations, and everything in between. We also delve into how female superheroes are portrayed and why we hope the Wonder Woman movie succeeds on the merits of the story instead of the female star. Intermixed between all the intelligent chatter are some truly hysterical moments (realizations)…especially at the very end. Enjoy!
I find myself hysterical at times when a normal person wouldn’t be. Things that should be simple I find impossible, daunting, stressful, and, when given a choice, try to avoid at all costs.
Parking Garage Machines – Those little slots into which we insert a ticket to escape the parking garage are the same things that I always manage to do incorrectly. I’m not sure how I am able to fail at this task so consistently, but I do. Today, for example, the bar was up – meaning I could drive though unchecked – but I still stopped, put the car in park, opened the door (because I was too far from the machine), dropped my phone, pen, and ear buds on the ground, had to get completely out to retrieve them, apologized to everyone behind me, realized the significance of the bar being up, felt like an idiot, got back in the car, and left. You know that person who has to press the call button on the machine to ask for help? That’s me. I’m not proud of it.
Toll Booths – I experience irrational fear at the thought of having to produce dollar bills or change at tollbooths. The worst are the unmanned catch-buckets (I don’t know the name of the urinal-shaped contraption) and the states that have different rates for each booth. A few months ago I was in the northeast and was told it would cost $35 to go across the bridge because I didn’t have a bridge pass. “There’s a bridge pass? Is that like a Troll?” The guy didn’t think I was funny, but I was so nervous I laughed for us both. I’ve thrown money at the catch-buckets hoping it was the right amount. I’ve dumped change all over the rental car searching for a quarter. I’ve handed over way too much money to the attendant, because I’m too flustered to figure out how much I have. I’ve cried. I’m not proud of it.
Buying my Husband a <Insert Holiday Here> Gift – I can’t do it. I’ve tried. I’m incapable. After nineteen years of marriage I now ask him, “What do you want? Send me the website. Oh, you got it yourself? Happy <Insert Holiday>!” I’m actually not good at gifts in general and am impressed with people who are. Almost as soon as I go onto a website or enter a store I start to second-guess my choices. There has to be a website strictly devoted to the shopping carts I’ve “filled” but never “checked out.” It’s like a sad, virtual wasteland of good intentions. I’m not proud of it.
I have a feeling that if I ever sat down with a therapist there would be plenty to talk about. Someone needs to invent an app which uses questions like “Do you become an infant at toll booths?” to slap you with a diagnosis and program for recovery. I’d buy that…or maybe I wouldn’t…
I love Bond films. I’ve loved them since I was a little girl. I love them regardless of who the actor is, regardless of who the villain is, and regardless of what the story is. I love them. Period.
At first this was going to be a list of the three things I love most about Bond films. However, having just returned from watching Spectre, I think it is probably more important that I cover why I shouldn’t like Bond films, because I loved Spectre, and I have absolutely no idea why. (Although Daniel Craig is quite pretty…but that isn’t it.)
Three reasons I shouldn’t like Bond films.
Excessive Violence. I love action, but I hate gory torture scenes. I actively avoid certain film directors (*cough Tarantino), because their films are filled with disgusting scenes that have no reason other than initiating a gag reflex in people or encouraging idiots with no imagination to experiment. But in Bond films, I actively embrace these scenes. And truthfully, in Spectre, the single torture scene seemed light. Hurt my Bond. Hurt him. It makes him angrier. Angry Bond is an excellent Bond.
Lack of a Discernable Plot. I’m a mystery fan. I love a great set of clues and twists and turns I can’t predict. I enjoy discovering along with the main characters and being surprised when the culprit is revealed. But in Bond films I’m almost always completely confused as to what’s going on. I never understand what clues lead Bond to each new fabulous locale. I have no idea why or how the main baddie always seems to have unlimited resources (elaborate sprinkler engineering in an arid desert) and a perpetual stream of minions. But, when it comes to Bond, I don’t care. I love that Bond is searching for something. I don’t much care how he finds it. Whatever, I’m in. Blindly. (Additional Note: In Spectre with each new locale my first thought was “Mmmm, nice clothes” and I’m not into fashion. Do you see why I’m confused?)
Idiot Women. I love smart, strong female characters that do and say what they think, independently of the corresponding male character (or in spite of them). AND YET I don’t give a flying fig what the women are about in Bond films. I embrace their decoration status and understand completely that they will be in peril at some point. So, it was a delightful surprise to find out that the main female character in Spectre did not end up dead…but no spoilers for those who haven’t seen it.
So, bottom line, I have no idea why I love the Bond films so unconditionally, but I do and I embrace that about myself. “For it is better to love oneself completely than hate because of a single flaw.” – Said by me, to the mirror in my bathroom.
We are big J.K. Rowling fans so for our first Wekk Reads episode we decided to try The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. We had a lively discussion, let by Kevin, and used a rating system authored by Kellie to give our final thoughts. Enjoy!
Katy here. I’ve been wanting to contribute to the Wekk website with a regular blog post for a while, but I wasn’t sure what to write. I rejected nearly every idea – even the one that would have the title “Half Tablet Every Day” (which seemed genius at the time, but in retrospect is rather vague). Kevin is the expert at trailer breakdowns, Mandy excels at pop culture historical analysis, and Kellie knows the most about pretty much everything else, so I wasn’t sure if I could contribute. But tonight I was struck with inspiration, so without further delay I present to you the first – Katy’s List of Things!
The Three Best Things to Buy at a Grocery Store
Delicious things. Let’s face it, we all go to the grocery store intending to buy vegetables, but somewhere between the entrance and the fresh foods we suddenly need chocolate. We deserve that chocolate. If we’ve had an especially stressful day (doctor’s appointment, vet visit, too many conference calls…) the chocolate needs to be frozen…as in ice cream. This category also includes anything that’s bad for us – guacamole, cinnamon rolls, bacon. We hide these wonderful items under several clear bags of colorful vegetables (time to make that spinach salad) and we vow not to let the produce decompose in our refrigerator.
Magazines. I can go entire weeks without a single article about how to improve my life, but five seconds into the checkout line I suddenly need to know how to dress for the holiday season. I also need to know how to erase wrinkles in my face, where to go on vacation, and how to bake my family a delicious casserole…using lots of vegetables (preferably not eggplant, because even though I don’t hate eggplant, I’m not sure I understand why we try and use it…I mean it’s smushy and purple, like a large bloated prune).
Hash Browns. They make me happy. I will sometimes buy several packs, greedily grabbing the last few on the shelf, because what if there is a hash brown shortage? I might be forced to go weeks between crispy delicious bites. Horrifying. I also enjoy buying frozen breakfast burritos, but I’m not sure I can explain that (also that’s four things and I am trying to stick to three for these lists).
So a successful grocery store visit involves these three things…and an iced latte (also…burritos). Did I miss one?
Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin search for podcasts so you don’t have to. We chat about our favorite finds (rating them in a Flex Listens scale or “Tuck” worthy – you’ll have to listen to find out what that means) in this Wekk Listens episode: Hello From The Magic Tavern, Batman The Long Halloween, A Way with Words, and Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend (and more…) Do you have a favorite we should listen to? Please let us know!
This week we introduce a new format for Wekk Podcast. We’re going to do four different types of podcasts – Wekk Chatter, Wekk Listens, Wekk Reads, and Wekk Imagines. We’re also going to be posting every other week until 2016.
This week’s episode is all about loving what we love and not feeling guilty about it. Kevin starts us off by discussing the documentary Sound City in which Dave Grohl encourages everyone to not feel guilty about the music they enjoy. In our typical fashion, Katy, Kellie, and Mandy broaden that to talk about television, movies, books, and food we enjoy but don’t share with the world. We talk about many, many things including Barry Manilow, ABBA, A-Team, Meatloaf, Mountain Dew, Hostess Cupcakes, and a vase full of action figures.
This week Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin discuss their miniwekk choices: the Hidden Brain podcast, a great podcast about making coffee in Antarctica, The 33 film, and You Tube channels that show hiking and various outdoorsy scenes, including Joe Brewer’s.
In this episode we go over the comic book origins of Green Arrow and The Flash. We go back…way back…to the beginning (Golden Age), and then bring both superheroes forward into today’s series. We discuss what changes the television shows made (costumes, personalities…girlfriends) and mention the call-outs to the origins of both heroes.
We enjoyed researching Green Arrow and The Flash and found many resources, some of which were conflicting, so we focused on the most consistent of the history. We hope you enjoy it!
This week Katy, Kellie, Mandy, and Kevin discuss what they’re looking forward to in fall books, movies, and television. Shows like Supergirl, Blindspot, Doctor Who, and The Muppet Show, as well as movies like The Hunger Games, Miss You Already, and Trumbo. Mandy brings some class by mentioning books like After Alice and Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise.
MiniWekk – The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Everyday Science – a You Tube Channel, Childhood’s End on SyFy, and Powerless (a hopeful pilot).
In this fun episode Katy, Kellie, and Mandy talk about their personal bucket lists (and the origin of the term – bucket list). They discuss what they would do, where they would go, and the why of it all.
MiniWekk – Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales on Disney, Johanna Basford Coloring Books, Zen Doodling, and the September issue of Popular Science.
Our first long episode is a special one. We love all things Disney and Kellie and Katy were able to attend the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California. In this episode we give you a complete rundown, as well as tips and a full review of the live action panel (can you say Civil War and Star Wars?) In our MiniWekk we cover Felicia Day’s new book (You’re Never Weird on the Internet), a game called Sorcery, Realm Pictures’ live action first-person shooter, and one of our favorite comic strips – Bloom County.
We’re back with round two of our trivia contest, because you told us you wanted more. Kevin brings forth questions designed to stump Kellie, Mandy, and Katy…but will it? Test your skill in several different categories including Comics, Television, Film, Books, and Games. WHO WILL WIN?
This week’s MiniWekk has a podcast by the History Chicks, another one called the Black Tapes, a discussion about Twitter lists and Green Lantern. Then we deep dive into heroes, anti-heroes, and villains.
This week our MiniWekk takes over and we talk about a website called Litopia.com, a book called Gut by Giulia Enders, a book called Quiet by Susan Cain, and then, so that no one things we’re too serious, Kellie talks about Ultimate Spiderman and launches us off into a discussion about what we love in superheroes. Along the way we mention Mary Roach’s book Gulp, deep dive into whether we are Introverted or Extroverted, review the Dubsmash war between Haley Atwell and Clark Gregg, and ask the most compelling question of them all – Why does Spiderman need a motorcycle? After you listen tell us whether you’re DC or Marvel. We want to know.
MiniWekk – Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast, Flophouse Podcast, Mr. Holmes, and the Bryant and May books by Christopher Fowler.
For the main Wekk we discuss mysteries that intrigue us: small particles, dark energy, dark matter, Earth-like planets, life in the universe, dimensions (dimensional travel), unification theory, as well as what happens to our brains when we sleep. Along the way we mention books by Brian Greene, Michio Kaku, and Philip Pullman, and reference our favorite science fiction television shows like Dr. Who and Farscape.
This week’s Mini Wekk, we talk about Being Human (BBC), Doctor Who, Lifeline (a fun game app), Joss Whedon’s Twist comic book series, and Con Man. Then, we go into a deep dive about board games. Games we loved as kids (Yahtzee, Backgammon, Stratego), co-operative games we love (Dead of Winter, Pandemic), cool card games (Dominion, Munchkin), games we want to play next (7 Wonders, Puerto Rico), and many, many others (including Lords of Waterdeep, Epic Spell Wars, Ticket to Ride, etc.) What is your favorite game to play?
First, a Mini Wekk where we talk about Jon Klassen’s children’s books, Screen Junkies Movie Fight’s podcast, Star Wars panel at ComicCon, and the Late Show Podcast with Stephen Colbert. Then we get into a discussion of how which three books define us. We talk about books like Blubber by Judy Blume, 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Neuromancer by William Gibson, In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson, and many, many more.
In this weeks podcast Katy, Kellie, Kevin, and Mandy discuss the things they loved this week – Odd Mom Out, the upcoming movie Creed, the children’s books of Brad Meltzer, and a show on Retirement Life called Bookmark. Then we get into a fun conversation (possibly a debate) about technology – what we love, what we hate, what we wish we had more of. (DOWN WITH MICROFICHE!)
Our Mini Wekk took over the podcast this week. Kellie chats about the D23 Expo in Anaheim this August. Katy mentions a podcast called Astonishing Legends and an episode they did on the mysterious Oak Island. Mandy reminds us about NASA’s Pluto expedition and the strange trouble they had with a computer shut down. And Kevin rounds out the show with a fun discussion about movies that perhaps don’t stand the test of time: Brainstorm, Ice Pirates, Black Hole, and many many many more.
Hey, Wekksters. Kevin here, and this week is the grand daddy of all nerd-related conventions. It’s the “2015 Comic Con International” in San Diego, California, also known as “San Diego Comic Con 2015,” also known as “SDCC,” also known as “The Longest Convention Lines For People Who Want To Say They Breathed The Same Air As ‘Doctor Who’ Star, Peter Capaldi.”
We, at Wekk Podcast, are not going to this year’s con, (which is a tragedy that will be avenged one year,) but I thought that it’d be fun to mention a few tips to ensure that those of you who are attending this massive event, do it all wrong.
Yes. You read that right. There are far too many blogs that tell you how to make the most out of your SDCC experience. Why follow the herd? I’m here to tell you how NOT to attend Comic Con by encouraging a little reverse psychology, and by sharing some funny scenarios that dip into a bit of convention truths that we all know far too well.
Disclaimer: Let it be known that if you follow these dubious tips, you will make fewer friends, create horrible experiences for everyone, and you will leave an embarrassing impression on anyone you meet. However, if you want a positive convention experience, avoid these tips like the zombie-plague.
So, here we go. Bad advice in 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH!
1. Come Woefully Unprepared
Believe me, no one loves a convention-goer more than when he’s ill-prepared. The volunteer staff cannot wait to field the typical Comic Con questions, such as, “How do I get into Hall H without all the silly waiting?”, “Where can I get some baby powder? This homemade Voltron costume is chaffing in the wrong areas”, and “Do you know where my kid is? I left him right here two hours ago.”
2. Complain… A LOT
Be the life of your group and the envy of everyone around you by complaining to anyone within earshot about anything. Everyone loves a complainer, right? And at SDCC, most of your time will be spent waiting in lines, sitting on carpets or asphalt, so you have a captive audience for your grievances. Complain about the waiting, about the food prices, about the weather, about the crowds, about how much better the con was when comic books was the main focus, and about anything else that ticks you off. If people tell you to shut up, tell them they’re just too scared to admit that you’re right. And you are right. You’ll earn a lot of con-cred this way. Trust me. (wink)
3. Yell… A LOT
How else are you going to be heard over the cacophony of convention noises than to create your own, ear-splitting, goat sounds of your own? Those around you will appreciate that you are adding to the local atmosphere. And trust me. The looks on the faces of the people around you might seem like disgust to you, at first, but it’s actually admiration. Yes. Really. Learn how to tell the difference.
4. Run… A LOT
Don’t worry about knocking into people, toppling a well-planned display, or bowling over a bunch of cosplayers posing for a photo. Be like Barry “The Flash” Allen and run as fast as you can manage. It’s all part of the fun of gathering as many bruises as you can before the con is over. There’s a little known secret about SDCC, and that’s the prize for the most contusions at the end of the con. Rumor has it the winner gets some kind of massive insurance bill at the end. Gotta shoot for something, right?
5. Drink… A LOT
First off, if you aren’t vomiting on convention hall carpeting, you aren’t doing Comic Con right. Second, alcohol and cons go together like Jar Jar Binks and intergalactic self-respect. Start drinking early, finish drinking late, and be sure to cure that massive hangover the next morning with a large helping of overly-priced, sub-standard food at the exhibitor’s hall. That will get the pre-regurgitated, stomach convulsions kicking in mighty quick.
6. Ruin the Panels
Make loud and obnoxious noises, use your cellphone cameras in device-prohibited areas, and talk loudly while some celebrity is making a salient point about her character so no one around you can hear. Anything to get you known by the security in the halls is a plus. Also, wait in line at the Q&A microphone and ask embarrassing questions of the panelists, like “At what point did you realize you were making a serious career mistake making this horrible movie?”
7. Don’t Shower… EVER
This is the most important rule on this list. It’s why I feature it last. Nothing else says “party-time” better than a convention-goer with severe hygiene issues. There’s always one in every group, but you don’t want to be just any con-goer with a stink. Shoot for “legendary” status and elevate your stench by also wearing the same funk-ridden clothing every day. In fact, I suggest that you pre-saturate all your clothes the week before with tons of sweat-stains to have your clothes ready on Preview Night. As you walk around, you will want people to turn their heads and go, “Damn, man! What the hell is wrong with you?”
And that’s a wrap. I hope everyone has a safe and sane Comic Con, I hope the squees are genuine and plentiful, the fun is infectious, and the memories are good and long-lasting. Bye, for now.
Did you read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline? We did and we wanted to talk about it (warning – lots of spoilers). In honor of our 21st podcast anniversary we discussed the book over drinks. And by drinks we mean coffee and tea (because we record at eleven in the morning and drinking alcohol would be weird)… Enjoy! And if you read the book, let us know what you think.
Here is the author’s website, one of the coolest ever. http://www.ernestcline.com
With Kevin as host, play along with Katy, Kellie, and Mandy as they answer trivia questions about Aliens, Star Trek, television shows like Continuum, Star Wars and comic books (Batman, Superman, Ant-man…all the mans). What do Shakespeare and Aliens have in common? Is it Greedo or Boba Fett? Where the heck was Luke going? And the Walking Dead question that to this day remains unresolved. See if you can rack up a higher point total than our contestants as they battle for trivia supremacy.
On this round-table, we delve into new Syfy Channel shows, “Dark Matter” and “Killjoys”; we examine author Rick Gualtieri’s website The Poptart Manifesto (his books and writing advice); we discuss a Smithsonian magazine article and debate whether we’d want our brains uploaded to a computer; and we go over the pros and cons (mostly pros) of fitness tracker technology.
Join us for more laughter, fun, and surprises as we answer more random questions pulled from the official Wekk Soup Bowl: favorite action film and board game, zombies or vampires, things we’d miss in an apocalypse (can you live without your cell phone?), whether we are a dork, geek, or nerd (or all three), and more.
If you enjoy this, feel free to give us a rating or leave us a comment!
Kellie and Kevin review Series One Episode 04, “Aliens of London,” Part One of a two-parter where London receives an unexpected guest; a spaceship crashed into the River Thames. We are still waiting for Jackie and Mickey to redeem themselves as characters early on, and we are introduced to one of Kellie’s favorite characters of the reboot so far: Harriet Jones.
On Episode 03 of Wekk Whovians, Kellie and Kevin follow The Doctor and Rose to the late 19th Century where the dead are rising, and Charles Dickens shows up to help them deduce the cause.
Wekk Podcast 