Retro Ridoctopus

In a rare non-celebratory episode, we welcome the co-writer/star/director of the hilarious flick, BAD CGI SHARKS, Jason Ellsworth to join us in a critical discussion on some of the LESS impressive FX we've seen in movies. These are the sequences that are so jarringly inadequate, they hit like a Mac truck, smashing any semblance of immersion to smithereens.

We each pick 2 examples of the worth effects we could think of and describe ...

A 'beat 'em up' or 'brawler' is a style of video game where the player character walks from left to right, beating up a seemingly endless number of enemies, until reaching the inevitable boss encounter at the end of the level. Simple, repetitive and addictive as heck, this genre of games were very popular in the late 80s and early 90s with beloved entries such as Final Fight, Double Dragon, Golden Axe and many many more.

For this e...

Rotting in the BRIG this week, we have another returning guest, Paul R. McNamee!

Paul is a talented author and lover of all things pulp… who’s short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies and magazines including STORYHACK, WEIRDBOOK, and BLOOD ON THE BLADE. And in 2021, he released the superhero novel Hour of the Robot!. His brand new collection, HEROES AMONG SHADOWS, was just released last month from Frizzen Flash Press and...

The X-men theme that was just too big for one episode continues!

In this second action-packed installment of our X-Men Cartoon Apocalypse, we celebrate 2 more of the 4 major X-men cartoons! As with last time, each host will present a favorite episode from each. Joining the team just time is new recruit and X-Men über fan, Kevin "Kex" Hayes!

For this first part, we are covering...
• Wolverine and the X-Men
• X-Men...

This idea has been brewing for a while and it was just too big for one episode!

This action-packed episode celebrates 2 of the 4 major X-men cartoons! Each host presents a favorite episode from each with the help of our very special guest... our returning pal and constant poster Santino "The San Man" Mancebo!

For this first part, we are covering...
• X-Men: The Animated Series (AKA: X-Men '92)
• X-Men Evolution

'N...

Good friend of the show, Josh Nealis (from Cutthroat Comics) makes Ridoctopus history by becoming the only person to get locked in THE BRIG for a THIRD TIME!

He talks candidly with Parasite Steve about his latest books "Gloves Off: Going Toe-to-Toe with Cancer", "Judy and Her Irrational Fears" the final issue of his "Turkey Sharks" comic series and what it was like creating all that stuff while battl...

Roger Corman did it all and he did it in spades.

Whether you call him the King of Cult or the Pope of Pop Cinema, it's no exaggeration to say that Corman had an output unmatched by anyone in the industry. And while he is perhaps known as much for his schlock as his amazing Poe Cycle with Vincent Price, one thing is for sure. The man constantly did what he loved, and that was making movies!

For this tribute episode, we set sail with...

This week, in THE BRIG… Deader is Better!

We welcome the co-creator of the world's longest continually running series of collectible horror themed dolls. The Living Dead Dolls. Make no mistake, folks… this is a guy who makes nightmares come to life, New Jersey’s own… Damien Glonek!

Ever wondered how you can turn a quirky little idea into a vast 26 year empire, beloved and fiercely collected by fans the world over? Well, Damien tell...

The 1980s and 90s saw the release of an unprecedented number of cartoons, movies, toys and games starring DINOSAURS! And unlike the adventure films of the 60s & 70s these projects took everyone's favorite extinct behemoths out of their hidden savage land environments and made them cool again. Mashing them together with genres like science fiction, post-apocalypse and even sitcoms!

You want dinos that fly spaceships? We got 'e...

It's 11:00 in Nosgoth. Do you know where your vampires are?

This week's motley crew includes Parasite Steve, Synopsis (Boss Rush Mode) Grim and Lady Carianna (in her first appearance)! All three have stocked up on Hearts of Darkness and have a serious blood lust for the classic PS1/PS2 series known as THE LEGACY OF KAIN!

These gothic dark fantasy treasures are known for their incredible entwining narrative, epic dialogue and high c...

The GODFOE Universe: APOLLYON 20XX is a gritty new indie comic from the team of artist Joshua Adams and writer Dan Evans. For this episode, the book's artist Joshua give the lowdown on this massive media-panning project, which will eventually span comic, novels, films and even video games. Is that ambitious enough for ya?!

For more info on this awesome project, check out the official website!

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Our secret nerdom revealed at last! We at the Retro Ridoctopus cephalopodcast are all huge geeks about animals and all sorts of creatures that walk, crawl, swim and fly over this fantastic blue marble we call Earth!

For this science-centric episode, the Octo-hosts each pick 4 animals we think are the most fascinating and share a bunch of fun facts about them! Pretty simple, pretty different and hopefully, pretty stinkin' fun, too!

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This week, down in the dank and the dark of that den of madness we call the BRIG… we've got the wicked cool Renee S. DeCamillis!

Renee is a talented writer and editor of all types of horror, the author of numerous published short stories and her recently released debut novel, Chisel The Bone. And as if that wasn’t enough, she’s also the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the band Scars Aligned!

Pre-Order her new one CHISEL THE B...

Is it Duck Season? Wabbit Season?! With over one thousand episodes of Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies you never have to choose!

Before the pig pops out of the drum... we'll build blocks of episode-picks around 4 of the most legendary characters! We'll talk some history, personal memories and fun facts about these screwball heroes of the Golden Age of Cartoon Animation!

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Retro Ridoctop...

In the 90s was when the anime floodgates opened in America, when programs like FOX KIDS started playing blocks of Japanese cartoons! But did we really need to catch 'em all?

Shows like Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh, Digimon, Monster Rancher and even (the best left forgotten) Fighting Foodons were trying to cash in on the enormous Pokemon craze. But there were others too. A few diamonds in the rough, as it were. And while your individual mi...

When it comes to classic RPG series, Final Fantasy is always in the conversation. This long running series has achieved LEGENDARY status with 16 main titles and a Bahamut-sized hoard of sequels and spin-offs.

This week, with the help of our Retroid Bobby MacGibbon, we'll spotlight our favorite games, characters and even summon monsters in the series. So gear up that Buster Sword with all your best Materia, and saddle up your Chocob...

This episode is dedicated to someone who has been my second Mother since I was ten years old, Parasite Steve and 8 Bit Alchemy's Mom Nancy.

Please check out Crow's Nest: Our Mom's Favorite Games first as I play the music from the games mentioned in that episode plus some of the music that reminds me of her.

I also share some personal memories and stories I have with Mom (or as I always called her, Other Mother).

Thanks for listenin...

Parasite Steve leads a sprawling discussion between two true-blooded fans, who unabashedly gush over both movies and books in the horror genre! Not every kid learns to read with Salem's Lot, but our guest this week is exactly that cool! When journalist Michael Miller isn't writing an article or interviewing one of horror's top stars, you can bet he's injecting the genre he loves direct into his veins (figuratively).

Expect talk of ...

Even before the internet, rumors about weird stuff in video games were always swirling around the playground. Sometimes it was how to get a new character or access to part of a stage. Other times it would be a code for more lives, a secret boss fight or even just some crazy glitch.

But how many of those tantalizing tricks and tidbits ended up being true in the end? Some? Most? NONE? One things for sure, whether we 100% believed the...