Come and see Planet 8's video-only episode!

Hey listeners! How would you like to become viewers? We have our first video-only episode up on our YouTube channel now. You can click here to see it. It's a video version of a Sensor Sweep, and we each review a cool item from our collections. Plus, Bob and Larry have a story to tell about a near-mishap they recently had with a custom Creature from the Black Lagoon collectible! If you enjoy seeing us share our memorabilia, please subscribe to the channel, and we'll do more videos like this one. Thanks!

Episode 53: Hail to the King, Baby

via GIPHY

All right you primitive screwheads...this episode is devoted to our friend Ashley Williams! Yes, we're taking a trip through the Evil Dead films and TV series. When the original Evil Dead movie first came out, it really shook things up. The camera angles and movements, the strange sound effects, the story, and of course, the charismatic Bruce Campbell, all added up to a hit with horror audiences.

The later entries would add more than a little humor to the horror, and that's where it seemed to really take off. Campbell had a gift for playing Ash as a lovable jerk, who was maybe more lucky than good. And he certainly delivered a number of notable one-liners!

Your Planet 8 crew will talk about the origins of the Evil Dead film series, how Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell got the idea for the first film and financed it, and was it connected at all to an older film called Equinox? All this and more!

We all like the third film, Army of Darkness, the best. It's an odd mix of fantasy, horror, and comedy, but it works really well. Ash pulls a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court act, but despite his technological know-how, he still screws up and conjures up an army of deadites, including his own undead counterpart. There were two different endings and we talk about both the theatrical and director's cut versions.

Finally we take a look at the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show. It only lasted three seasons, but it was well done and really expanded the Evil Dead universe. Will there be more Evil Dead? Perhaps the truth is hidden in the pages of the Necronomicon...

Starting with this episode's Sensor Sweep, Chief Engineer Bob will be throwing the spotlight on different artists who normally appear at the Godzilla and anime shows Bob puts on in the Bay Area, but Covid-19 has shut all that down right now. This time we are featuring artist Nick Shev. You can find his work at https://nickshev.bigcartel.com/. Nick does a lot of Godzilla art, but also aliens, mummies, original Halloween art, and more. He also does black light art -he takes a printed lithograph and hand draws details with a luminous marker. You can get lenticular stickers from him too. Take a look, there's a lot of very cool stuff on his site!

That's all this time, friends and neighbors. Be sure to share your thoughts on Ash and the Evil Dead. Do you enjoy this film/TV series? Can you see it going on without Bruce Campbell as Ash? We want to know! And you know the drill by now...

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

Thanks for listening!

Episode 52: Submitted for Your Approval - The Twilight Zone

via GIPHY

You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension—a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.

Witness three podcasters, all awestruck by the same television show from over 50 years ago. A show that has become legendary, and has inspired generations of creative minds. Yes, in this episode of Planet 8, we will be talking about  - Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone.

Larry, Bob, and Karen each came up with a short list of episodes that really spoke to them, so they sat down and discussed what made them so special. Twilight Zone had some wonderful stories, and the twist endings have become well-known. But they were also capable of subtlety and beauty. And the actors! Watching the show is a real treat, as so many now-famous performers appear in the early days of their careers. Robert Redford, Carol Burnett, Telly Savalas, and of course, William Shatner, all appeared on the show before they became household names. 

Why do we still love Twilight Zone? What is the secret of its longevity? The stories have a timeless appeal -we relate to them because they speak to the most basic qualities of the human condition, things that do not seem to change -for better or worse.

Wrapping up the episode is our Sensor Sweep, Larry shares a plethora of Twilight Zone items. Foremost is the Twilight Zone Companion, by Marc Scott Zicree. It's loaded with tons of behind the scenes information on the episodes. Another great treasure is the 4 CD set of the 40th Anniversary edition of the Twilight Zone soundtrack. From the 60s,we have From the Twilight Zone, a book by Rod Serling collecting adaptations of Twilight Zone episodes. Finally, Larry shares Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, a collection of Richard Matheson short stories, some of which were made into TZ episodes, including the title one which became the famous William Shatner episode with the gremlin on the airplane.

All right friends, give the episode a listen and tell us what you think. We covered 12, count 'em, 12 Twilight Zone episodes, but there were so many more we would have enjoyed talking about! Maybe we will do a follow up show. Let us know what you thought of the episodes we discussed, and tell us about your favorite episodes. You can leave comments here, or at our other receiving stations:

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

Thanks for listening!

Episode 51: Well, Isn't that Special - Effects

our guest Webster Colcord with "friends" at Tippett Studios

All of the amazing fantasy and science fiction films that we love, with their spaceships and ray guns, monsters and aliens, couldn't exist without the talents and hard work of special effects artists. For this episode, the Planet 8 crew is joined by special effects artist and animator Webster Colcord! Webster is an industry veteran, getting his start at the Vinton Studios, doing claymation on the California Raisins. He has gone on to work on a wide range of projects, including James and the Giant Peach, Deadpool, Ted, Superman Returns, The Host, and many other genre films. Webster currently works with legendary effects artist Phil Tippett at Tippett Studios. 

via Gfycat

We'll talk with Webster about his career, and learn about what it was like to do claymation, hear about the early days of CG effects, the beginnings of Pixar, and more! We had a lot of fun just talking with Webster and getting a lot of behind the scenes stories about different films and how some amazing effects were done -and what went wrong with a few movies! (We're looking at you Scorpion King...)

If you've ever wondered about how some of the special effects you've seen in films were made, or what it's like working in the special effects field, this is the episode for you!

For this episode, Recon Officer Karen has the Sensor Sweep and looks at a new book from author Marc Cushman. It's a continuation of his excellent These are The Voyages series, the first three volumes of which covered the first three seasons of the original Star Trek. This volume, entitled These are the Voyages: Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in the 1970s  Volume 1 (1970 -1975). Cushman covers the years between the end of the original series up through the animated series (but prior to the first film). It includes info on the sci-fi TV films Roddenberry made, like Questor Tapes and Genesis II as well. One big surprise -Roddenberry was working on the script for a Tarzan film which never materialized! If you're a Star Trek buff, you'll want this book.

That's all for this go-round. We hope you enjoyed our look at special effects with our friend Webster. As always, we want to hear your thoughts. Leave them below in the comments, or hit us up in our social media spots:

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

Thanks for listening!

Episode 50: Giant-Sized Spider-Man 50th Episode Spectacular!

It's our big 50th episode, and have we got a show for you! This one is a Giant-Sized fun-filled tribute to one of our favorite heroes, the amazing, spectacular Spider-Man! The web-slinger has been around now for over six decades and is one of the most popular characters on the planet. Why does everyone (except J. Jonah Jameson) love Spider-Man? The Planet 8 crew, plus a couple of special guests, will explore Spider-Man through comics, TV, and film incarnations, celebrating what makes him so special compared to all the other costumed crusaders.

If you want to hear about Spidey's origins, our favorite artists, Spidey's rogues gallery, the Spider-buggy, Japanese Spider-Man, and so much more, you're in the right place!

Amazing animator Tim Eldred!

Did I mention special guests? That's right, we have two for this 50th episode spectacular! Looking at Spidey in the world of animation, artist/animator/director Tim Eldred, who has worked on five different Spider-Man animated shows, shares his thoughts and experiences. Tim's segment begins at 51:24  minutes into the episode. You can check out Tim's multimedia science fiction graphic novel Pitsberg at  Pitsberg.com, and also take a look at Greasemonkeybook.com.

The spectacular spider-writer, Gerry Conway!

Taking the place of our usual Sensor Sweep, we have a special treat: comics legend Gerry Conway! Gerry has written tons of comics, both at Marvel and DC, including Fantastic Four, Thor, Justice League, Batman, and created characters like the Punisher, Firestorm, Steel, Vixen, and many others. But he may be best known as the man who killed Spider-Man's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy! Gerry had a renowned run of Amazing Spider-Man, taking over the scripting reins from Stan Lee. It was a real thrill to have a conversation with Gerry about comics and Spider-Man in particular. The conversation begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes into the show (we saved the best for last).

Finally, thanks to all of you who have listened to and supported this happy little show for the last two years! We are having a blast putting it together twice a month, and hope to continue it for a long time. It wouldn't be nearly so much fun without hearing from you. Your comments here, and on Twitter and Facebook, have really taken this from three friends just goofing off to a whole community of like-minded friends. It's been especially important to us during these current difficult days. We hope all of you are doing well, and that our show can take your mind off things and entertain you, however briefly.

That's it, this big ol' beast is done! As always, we want to hear from you! Leave your comments here on the blog, or send them swinging our way at our other hangouts:

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

Thanks for listening!

Episode 49: Welcome to Thrillville

Will the Thrill and Monica Tiki Goddess

Many years ago, in a magical land called Oakland, California, your Planet 8 crew frequently came together in the Parkway Theater for a fantastic event called Thrillville, a B-movie cabaret hosted by Will "The Thrill" Viharo and his lovely wife, Monica "Tiki Goddess." Thrillville introduced us to many films we might never see any where else, such as Dolemite, as well as allowing us to see old favorites like Jason and the Argonauts back on the big screen with like-minded souls. Thrillville was more than a movie show - it was an event, with live music and entertainment, and of course, the musings of our host, Will the Thrill. Beyond that though, it was community - bringing together so many geeks, nerds and the like who might not have found each other without it.

On this episode we talk with Will Viharo about the birth of Thrillville, b-movies, his writing, and basically, anything else that popped into his mind! Will is a true raconteur, so get ready for a wild and hilarious ride as we journey through Thrillville!

You never knew exactly what to expect at Thrillville; sure, you might know what movie was going to be shown. But aside from that, everything else was different from show to show! There might be a band with a theremin, or a group of high-kicking, scantily-clad dancers. Or maybe a horror host or two helping out Will. And before the film, Will and Monica would spin the wheel and give out prizes- but only if you were polite, raised your hand, and didn't yell out the answer! Sometimes we'd get a short film or trailerspreceding the film. And then we'd get to the film itself. You got your money's worth!

For more information on Will, Thrillville, and his books, check out his site: http://thrillville.net/. Will has written a number of books which he might say cannot be put into any particular genre but the word "pulp" certainly comes to mind! Check out his author page at Amazon, where you can find (and buy!) any of his titles. Please note that these are definitely intended for persons 18 and older. You can also find more on Thrillville on Facebook at @Thrillvilletheater.

That's all for us this time. We'll be back on May 8th with a super-sized 50th episode! Please leave us any comments here at the site, or feel free to contact us at our other spots:

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

Thanks for listening!

Episode 48: Those Startling, Sensational Super-Heroes

art by George Perez

Super-heroes! How many of us ran around with a towel tied around our neck, pretending to fly as we jumped from the couch? Whether we read about them in comics, watched them on TV, or thrilled to them in the movie theater, we all have had our dreams of being a super-hero, fighting evil villains and saving the day. In this episode each of the Planet 8 crew will discuss their favorite super-heroes, and we have quite a variety!

Karen is up first, and she looks at two Marvel "outsiders" - The Vision and Adam Warlock. Both have convoluted backstories, and are not your typical hero in longjohns. What makes these two so interesting? Listen in and find out.

Next up is Bob with the lowdown on all things Ultraman! If you already like Ultraman, you'll appreciate Bob's deep knowledge on the topic. And if you're new to it, you'll learn a lot!

Christopher Reeve Superman GIF from Christopherreeve GIFs

Finally, pulling it all together, Larry shares his love for the original super-hero, Superman! The Man of Steel, and in particular the Christopher Reeve films, are close to Larry's heart. He'll tell us all why.

For the Sensor Sweep, appropriately, Bob shares his latest acquisition, a fabulous Ultraman figure from MaxToyco! This vinyl figure stands about 4.5" high and is the 1st Ultraman figure licensed by Tsuburaya in the United States. Sculpted by Pico Pico and painted by Mark Nagata (owner of Maxtoyco), this is a limited edition figure. But expect to see more Ultraman figures soon!

Bonus announcement: we've added another way to get your Planet 8 fix: a YouTube channel! That's right, you can catch episodes on YouTube now. Currently we're just adding still images to the audio, but stay tuned, we have some other plans in store!

That's all for us this time. Let us know who your favorite supe-heroes are. You could use the bat-signal, but it might be easier to leave a comment on the site, or try us at our other spots:

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

Thanks for listening!