KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#69 | Batman: The Animated Series Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

Every month, our lovely Patreon audience gets to vote on a topic we cover here on KnockBack, and today, we deliver one such episode. Batman made his comic book debut all the way back in 1939, and his amazing staying power is due, in part, to the exceptional number of ways DC has allowed him to be portrayed. Perhaps one of Batman's most iconic portrayals, however, is in cartoon form. Batman: The Animated Series -- which initially ran from 1992 through 1995 -- is a stellar piece of art, an accessible-yet-deep look at all the Batman franchise has to offer. From its portrayal of Gotham to its amazing villains (to its treatment of Batman/Bruce!), Batman: The Animated Series has earned its sterling reputation. So allow us to be your billionaire caretaker, and you our boy ward, and let's learn a thing or two about The Bat-Man.

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#68: The Arcade Jun 06, 2019

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Video gaming began after World War II, when primitive punch card and oscilloscope games were played exclusively on university and government supercomputers. But what started as a small niche for the educated and elite quickly found its way into venues every person could enjoy, like bars, lounges, and restaurants. Before you knew it, pinball machines were everywhere, and by the late-'70s, so too were arcade machines. Space Invaders. Pac-Man. Galaga. Arkanoid. While it may be hard for the younger generations to fully grapple with, for older gamers, the arcade really meant something. And it still does today. So let's hearken back to a time before smart phones, or even the Internet. Hell, let's even hearken back to a time before mainstream home console gaming, and show our appreciation for the quarter-gobbling machines that spawned one of modern entertainment's most vital verticals.

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#67: '90s Nicktoons May 30, 2019

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With Rugrats, Doug, and Ren & Stimpy, Nickelodeon launched a cartoon revolution in the early '90s. These three initial Nicktoon-branded offerings toted completely unique art styles, stories, tones, and even target audiences, and the trio proved to be animated powerhouses that persisted in popularity long after their initial runs. Nicktoons' positive reputation continued right on through the decade, though, as shows from Hey Arnold and Real Monsters to Rocko's Modern Life and The Angry Beavers delighted audiences around the world, replacing those older offerings with something fresher. Today's episode of KnockBack -- as voted on by the show's Patreon supporters -- is all about the Nicktoons of the 1990s. And no, this won't preclude us from doing specific episodes on specific shows in the future, so fret not. (There's a Ren & Stimpy episode of KnockBack, after all!)

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#66: My Neighbor Totoro May 23, 2019

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It can't be overstated how unusual it is that so-called "Nerd Culture" has taken over the world. Not too long ago, it was completely unthinkable that something like Game of Thrones or The Avengers could be the biggest entertainment properties in the world. But along with the mainstream popularization of fantasy, superheroes, and the like has come a quieter revolution that we definitely take for granted: The influence of Japanese media, particular when it comes to its animation. It seems incredible to think that we're only a few years removed from anime itself being a truly underground phenomenon, but it's true. And one of films that help popularized Japanese animation in the west during its more niche days was My Neighbor Totoro, the gorgeous Studio Ghibli picture that hinged on a unique sense of eastern post-war nostalgia the likes of which only a master like Hayao Miyazaki could capture. This episode of KnockBack is dedicated entirely to Ghibli's 1988 classic, and all of the conversation, points of interest, and even conspiracy theories that come along with any thorough analysis.

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#65: Star Wars Toys (1977-1985) May 16, 2019

Show notes

Sometimes, The Brothers Moriarty get a little too ambitious, and this particular episode of the show is a good example of how. That's because we went into recording this entry of KnockBack assuming we'd be able to talk about both of our eras collecting Star Wars toys all at once. But such an idea quickly proved too unwieldy for just one episode. So instead of trying to cover literally decades all at once, we thought we'd focus on Star Wars' original era -- A New Hope through Return of the Jedi and the couple of years that followed -- and dive deep into Dagan's experience in particular collecting the action figures, vehicles, and playsets as they came to market. Dagan has a near-complete collection of Kenner toys from 1977 (well, technically 1978) through 1985, so let's just say he has quite a bit of experience. And alongside that experience, thankfully, comes a head full of memories and stories to share.

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#64: Breakfast Cereal May 09, 2019

Show notes

When you're a kid, you can't escape breakfast cereal. (And frankly, why would you want to?) You ate it in the morning, or maybe out of a sandwich bag on the bus or at lunch. When you got home from school, you may have helped yourself to half a box while watching afternoon cartoons. And who hasn't snuck a bowl or two late at night? The point is, cereal rules, and we wanted to dedicate an entire episode to it. From marshmallow-filled favorites to the bizarre stuff your parents ate -- and everything in between -- let's reminisce about milk's favorite companion, and how it quietly defined our childhoods.

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#63: Fast Times at Ridgemont High May 02, 2019

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Hey bud! Way back in 1981, Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe wrote and published a book chronicling his time spent undercover at a Southern California high school. It was called Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and it's something of a collector's item today, having never even been republished since. Indeed, it would have no doubt become an obscure (albeit interesting) piece of early-'80s trivia, save for one thing: It shares its name (and some of its characters and plot) with a tremendously well-regarded film. Fast Times (as the movie is commonly referred) is a seminal teen flick from an era where that term hadn't really been defined yet. It stars young actors in believable, yet archetypal roles, provided near-unheard of amounts of candor and realism in its dialogue and situations, and -- perhaps most importantly -- introduced the world to the majesty of Sean Penn's Jeff Spicoli. So listen in to our conversation that's longer than the film itself, and perhaps you, too, can answer the immortal question: "Where did you get this jacket?!"

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#62: The Pool Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

For many of us, being a child during the summer largely revolved around one thing: The swimming pool. Whether you had an above-ground pool or an in-ground pool, or you had to rely on your friends' pools for your aquatic adventures, or even if you spent the dog days of summer at the municipal pool or at the local Y, there's a decent chance you've got some swimming-related memories tucked away in your head. That's what today's episode of KnockBack is all about: All the games, the toys, the friends, and the stories that took place in, around, and under that (usually) blue, (sometimes) pee-infested water. Oh, and of course the dives, flips, and other jumps that probably could have killed all of us at one point or another. Cannonball!

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#61: The Goonies Apr 18, 2019

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Way back in 1985, a most unusual flick came to the silver screen. It was called The Goonies, and for most people that saw it (both then and now), it morphed into an instant classic, a memorable movie in an era of memorable movies. Thing is, it's an interesting product well above and beyond it '80s cult status. It stars some famous actors, it was conceived by one of the film industry's most famous names (both then and now), it wasn't a merchandising cash cow, and -- perhaps mercifully -- it's never been remade. There isn't even a proper sequel (though there is that Konami game...). At the end of the day, The Goonies was all about childhood adventure and imagination, and it's those two aspects of our younger days that we celebrate during today's episodes. See, it turned out The Goonies were good enough. Question is: Are you?

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#60: Childhood Homes Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

Let's face it: Nostalgia is often heavily rooted in locations, and not only events. Today's episode of KnockBack seeks to explore that idea, going over the homes we've lived in with a fine-tooth comb in order to extract some deeply-held memories. From a few houses on Long Island for the both of us, to Colin's experience living in Maine and New Hampshire for a few years as a kid, it turns out that by focusing on where we lived, and not only when, we can grab onto the past in ways we never thought possible. And listener memories of your own childhood homes -- of which we include many -- round things out to an even greater degree.

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