Episode 38: Party Beyond The Stars!

Bob, Larry, and Karen live at 7 Star Bar & Grill

Through the miracle of audio recording, we transport you now to our first ever listener's party! Held on October 20th, 2019, at the 7 Stars Bar & Grill in San Jose, Commander Larry and Engineer Bob were live, in-person, while Recon Officer Karen was beamed in via the interociter. We were joined by a few dozen friends and fans to celebrate our first fun year of podcasting. It was a chance to hang out, listen to tunes, enjoy some food and drink, and even do a show in front of a live audience! And that's what you're about to listen to now. Many thanks to the 7 Stars Bar & Grill for hosting us.

Sean and Jessica from the South Bay Lightsaber Club

First up we have Sean and Jessica from the South Bay Lightsaber Club, who show off one of their cool lightsabers, one that was made at the Star Wars Galaxies' Edge park at Disneyland. Sean shares some tips and tricks about how to make a lightsaber at the park.

Ensign Jasmine gets promoted

Newly-promoted Lt. Debby celebrates 

This celebration was also a momentous occasion: Planet 8 crew members Ensign Debby and Ensign Jasmine were both promoted to Lieutenant for all of their help with the podcast, and keeping everything running smoothly on Planet 8! Congrats to Debby and Jasmine.

Don Bishop shows off his prize

Cosplayer Don Bishop shares his know-how on putting together fantastic sci-fi costumes and discusses the most complicated outfits he ever assembled, including the Mugato from Star Trek! Don was dressed as Taylor from Planet of the Apes while visiting our Planet 8 fest!

Joe Tarquini and Mike McCreery from Mantiques

We had a chance to speak with Joe Tarquini and Mike McCreery, co-owners of Mantiques, the store with everything a geek could ever want, in Niles, California. Mike was also the DJ for the day! If you're looking for something unique for your collection, you need to pop into Mantiques.

Gail and Ray Orwig return!

Finally, friends of the show Ray and Gail Orwig, authors of the wonderful Where Monsters Walk, made a return appearance and told us about their upcoming book which will focus on sci-fi and fantasy serials from 1919 to the 1950s, about 50 different ones in all. This is another labor of love for the couple and is sure to be as entertaining as their first one!

Your crew gave out a bunch of prizes to folks who were brave enough to spin the Planet 8 Wheel of Fate. For all of you who couldn't attend but are listening, consider yourself honorary Planet 8 No-Prize winners!

Thanks for being such a great bunch of listeners! You are the reason we do this crazy podcast! You can give us feedback, criticism, or even kind remarks in the comments section here, or at our other haunts:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for listening!

Episode 7: Going Where Monsters Walked

Have you ever watched a classic sci-fi or monster movie and wondered, "Where the heck did they film this?" If so, this is the podcast for you! This episode the crew -Larry, Bob, and Karen - have a sit down with Gail and Ray Orwig, authors of the terrific book, Where Monsters Walked: California Locations of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 1925-1965. Gail and Ray discuss what drove them to write the book, the secrets to finding so many filming locations, and the many adventures they had along the way! What was the hardest, but most fulfilling movie location to find? You'll have to listen to find out -but it involved some enlarged critters...

Ray, Gail, Bob, and Larry

To get your copy of this marvelous book, check out Amazon or the publisher, McFarland.

Ray and Gail will be appearing at Creatures Con, on August 12th, in San Ramon, California. For more information, visit https://www.creaturescon.com/home.html. Be sure to stop by and say hi, and get a copy of the book!

Your Planet 8 crew -at least Commander Larry and Engineer Bob - will take some shore leave and  also attend Creatures Con! Come by their table and get some goodies, and you may wind up on a future episode!

As always, you can find us at:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 5: Ant-Man and the Wasp Get Small and Go Infinite

Good things sometimes come in small packages. Is that the case with the new entry from Marvel Studios, Ant-Man and The Wasp?  Hear what your Planet 8 crew thought of the movie, as well as how it fits into the larger context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How does this connect with Avengers: Infinity War? As always, it's a SPOILER-FILLED discussion, so make sure you see the movie before you hop into the podcast! Then share your thoughts in the comments section, or head over to our Twitter or Facebook pages:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

This episode's Sensor Sweep is presented by Chief Engineer Bob. He reviews a fascinating book, Where Monsters Walked: California Locations of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 1925 - 1965 by Gail and Raymond Orwig. It is a must-have for anyone who is a genre film buff that always wondered where classic and cult movies were filmed. The Orwigs tracked down scores of locations in California, and the book has photos comparing then and now. Famous sites such as Bronson Caves and Vasquez Rocks are included, along with many lesser known gems. It's a perfect companion for a California road trip. This book can be found at Amazon.com or from the publisher, McFarland Books.

Thanks for listening!