When It Was Cool Podcast

Once again it is Friday the 13th so, of course, we have a Friday the 13th movie review! Part VII: The New Blood (1988) features the first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason Vorhees who also sets a filming record in this movie for the longest legit stunt fire scene up to that date. There is a new cast of victims for Jason to prey upon, but the same tired formula continues in this very predictable movie leading to future changes. Did you know this movie was supposed to be Carrie verses Jason? It was also supposed to be Freddy verses Jason too but that was pushed down the road a few years. Let's talk about it. Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/posts/131392189

On this When It Was Cool Patreon special I review a movie condensed from the 1940 Green Hornet film serial.  Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger exist inside the same fictional universe, in fact, later cannon has Green Hornet as the great nephew of the Lone Ranger. Keye Luke who later played BIind Master Po in Kung Fu is Kato in this series.  Karl Stern talks you through this often-overlooked corner of the superhero universe.

I have sadly sworn off the MCU for some time now. None of the offerings in recent years have appealed to me but when Captain America: Brave New World showed up on Disney Plus I decided to give it a try. Featuring the debut of Harrison Ford's Red Hulk character, could this be the movie that brings me back into the Marvel Universe? Not so fast. Join me while I try to find a ray of hope inside this flawed super hero movie.

My podcast today takes a detailed look back at June 1985 in pro wrestling history. The text is taken from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus. In June 1985 pro wrestling's first action figures become available, a set of AWA action figures by Remco toy company and WWF figures by LJN. In addition to that, Sgt. Slaughter sort of wins a title in the AWA, there is finally some life in Jim Crockett Promotions because of Magnum TA, and Japan is red hot! Check out the extended version on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/posts/130634871

Today I wrap up my three-part series on the appeal of one of my favorite pop-culture properties: G.I. Joe. Previously, I have taken a look at both the action figures and the comic books and today I look at the multiple cartoon series that have featured G.I. Joe since the mid-1980s including the favorably remembered Sunbow series and the less favorably remembered DIC series, plus more!

When It Was Cool Dark looks back at 1939's Universal Monster movie Son of Frankenstein where the son of the original Dr. Frankenstein comes to claim his family estate and discovers The Monster has been saved by Ygor (played by Bela Lugosi of Dracula fame) and is being used as a weapon against Ygor's enemies. Karl and Tonya (from When It Was Cool website) discuss the movie and the changes in macabre films over the years and what are the modern equivalents of this type cinema.

Many believe this is the greatest of the classic monster movies and who am I do disagree? Bride of Frankenstein was a 1935 classic and sequel to the excellent Frankenstein. Join pop culture historian Karl from When It Was Cool as he discusses this classic.

One of my favorite aspects of the G.I. Joe franchise were the Marvel comic book series. G.I. Joe had other comic book runs dating as far back as the Golden Age of comics, but it was the 1980s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book series that really tied everything together. From fan favorites like Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, to deeper dives like Bazooka and Grand Slam, G.I. Joe is a fantastic franchise that is still going strong today. Support When It Was Cool on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/posts/129037758

Join us for a classic retro movie review from our Patreon archive at When It Was Cool. The 1933 monster movie classic King Kong! What a fun movie this was. While the stop motion animation may seem antiquated when compared to modern CGI movies, the story and presentation of the original King Kong movie is still a pleasure to watch! Support When It Was Cool on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

This is a free episode of our Patreon series: Superman in Order Podcast where we follow the appearances of Superman in chronological order. Finally, Superman acts like... well... Superman! Issue 5 of Action Comics features the fifth chronological appearance of Superman and, unlike the last few, Superman is in full costume and saving a town from a dam which is about to burst! A really fun issue of Action Comics!

From our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool archive at When It Was Cool is our review of the 1932 Universal Monster movie classic The Mummy! Check us out at When It Was Cool for almost 3000 podcasts on pop culture, retro pop culture, and more!

Today I begin the first of three new podcasts discussing my favorite retro pop culture property- G.I. Joe! The first installment is on the 3.75-inch G.I. Joe action figures which debuted in stores in 1982 by Hasbro and continues, in some form, until this very day! In two weeks, I will look at G.I. Joe: The Marvel Comics Series then, finally, G.I. Joe: The Cartoon Series. Yo Joe!

From the When It Was Cool archive on Patreon here, comes a review of the Universal Monsters classic adapted from the legendary book - Dracula! Much of what vampires are and can do were first established in the original novel and the movie. Check out our podcast review of Dracula!

From our Patreon archive at https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool Karl and Tonya take a look back at the silent movie masterpiece Phantom of the Opera from 1925. Check us out at When It Was Cool for more horror movie classics, retro pop culture, and much more!

I have a review of a Spider-Man universe Sony movie today. Morbius (2022), much like Kraven the Hunter which followed it, got scathing reviews online. In fact, many review websites had it ranked as low as 15% positive. It seems I am out of step with these websites because, much like the Kraven movie, I liked this one quite well. In fact, I found it quite true to the source material. I do like vampire movies in general and I thought this one was very much good. Let's talk about it. Support When It Was Cool on Patreon - Here

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a 1922 silent German horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire. Nosferatu was produced by Prana Film and is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Various names and other details were changed from the novel, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok. Even with several details altered, Stoker's heirs sued over the adaptation, and a court ruling ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. However, several prints of Nosferatu survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema. Today, Karl from When It Was Cool reviews this, very close to the novel, interpretation of Dracula in Nosferatu (1922). Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

This is one of my favorite podcasts from the When It Was Cool Patreon archives, this is a fun look back at the 1973 Kung Fu martial arts movie epic - Enter the Dragon featuring Bruce Lee! Get instant access to over 2,000 podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

Join me on this show from our Patreon archive looking back at the classic DC Super Powers toy line from the 1980s. This type of content and over 2000 other podcasts are available immediately upon joining our Patreon! Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and many more! Sign up on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

The When It Was Cool flagship podcast returns today as Karl and Tonya discuss multiple pop culture issues and news including recent information on the death of actor Gene Hackman. Tonya then discusses some arts and crafts matters as she tries a few new things. Support When It Was Cool on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

Today his 'official' (sort of) name is Shazam, but during the 1940s Captain Marvel was a superhero on the same popularity level as Superman! He even had a serialized adventure series in the 1940s, the earliest of the superheroes! While Captain Marvel in this series differed in many respects from his comic book counterpart, it was still quite a good series!

Join When It Was Cool on this new series following the chronological history of Superman from his debut in 1938 through history. This is not a documentary series about the creators and artists (though they are mentioned) but instead is a study of the character of Superman himself and the changes he has gone through over the years. Episode one takes a look back to 1938 and the debut of Superman in the pages of Action Comics.

I learned to read in the 1970s largely using comic books. I have read and collected comics for over 40 years. Here at When It Was Cool I have selected my 100 favorite comic books from my life as a comic fan. Included in the discussion are Superman, Batman, Fantastic Four, G.I. Joe, Justice League, Avengers, Defenders, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and many more. Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

While Daredevil has been brought back from limbo by the MCU, Daredevil's first on screen appearance wasn't the Netflix series, nor even the forgettable 1990s movie! Instead, it was as a character in the 1989 made for TV movie - Trial of the Incredible Hulk! This show is from our Patreon archive of over 2,500 shows. Join today - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

The 25th appearance of Batman took place in January 1941 in the pages of Detective Comics issue 47. As far as stories go, it is pretty tame, but the character of the Batman himself continues to evolve. In this issue, Bruce Wayne does his best Dick Tracy impersonation and Robin has a reduced role. Read the feature article - here. The Batman in Order series will now go on pause and in two weeks we will begin our look at the first 25 appearances of Superman as we start to build an entire "... In Order" section to the website!

Beginning today, every Monday I will post one retro pop culture offering from our vast library of almost 3,000 podcasts on our Patreon Page at WhenItWasCool.com. Today we look back one of the most beloved animated cartoon properties, X-Men the Animated Series from 1992!

From our Patreon files at WhenItWasCool.com we present to you this classic review of the G.I. Joe Sunbow cartoon series! G.I. Joe was one of my favorite toy properties in the 1980s and 1990s and I was a huge fan of the G.I. Joe Marvel Comic book series but less a fan of the cartoon. Today, I give G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon series a new look!

Karl and Tonya invite you in for a discussion about pop culture and retro pop culture from When It Was Cool! On this podcast, Karl and Tonya discuss school life in the 1970s through the 1990s, how things have changed, and what we can't make sense of today. Then we take you with us as we go through another subscription snack box, this time we have snacks from Spain! From pro wrestling history, to toys, to movies, TV, and more, When It Was Cool is your place for retro pop culture fun! Recommendation for today - DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus Book: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling. Order here!

Karl and Tonya reminisce about the important pop culture influences in their lives. Tonya discusses fashion of the 1980s and 1990s, Karl talks about the Six Million Dollar Man and comic books. They discuss the impact that pop culture has made in their lives and how the love of music was a common factor in their relationship. From the sitcoms of the 1960s-1990s to the music we all love, When It Was Cool is your podcast all about retro pop culture fun!

Karl and Tonya from WhenItWasCool.com return for a new season of the flagship When It Was Cool Podcast where we talk about retro pop culture and fun! On this show we discuss some of the retro pop culture highlights from last year and look ahead to 2025's new offerings including the new Superman movie and more. Then we dive into a box full of snacks that are supposed to be popular in Korea! Was it a boom or bust? We will let you know! Movies, TV, music, sports, toys, and more at When It Was Cool!

A refreshing new season of the When It Was Cool podcast will be arriving in 2025! Lots of exciting new shows here on the free podcast feed. Until then, continue to get all the retro pop culture you love on our Patreon Page at https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

We continue our November celebration of 1970s superhero culture with this look from our Patreon archives at MEGO action figures. In the 1970s, MEGO had the action figure license for Marvel, DC, Star Trek, and many others! Come and join us! https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

Direct from our Patreon archives at https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool we jump back in time to the late 1970s to look at the live action Incredible Hulk TV show. A cult classic! For more shows like this (over 2000) visit When It Was Cool and join our Patreon! Thousands of hours of retro pop culture!

When It Was Cool continues to look back at the live-action superheroes of the 1970s with the second Captain America special- Death Too Soon. This podcast is from the Patreon archives at When It Was Cool. Check it out - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

Join When It Was Cool celebrates November with a look back at some great 1970s superhero flix! This week we start off with a look back at 1979's Captain America made for TV movie. Next week we will look at the follow up sequel. This is from our Patreon archive at When It Was Cool where over 2,000 podcasts are waiting for you! Check it out today - When It Was Cool | creating a Website and Podcast Network | Patreon

Today we visit our Patreon archives for an episode of DragonKing Dark looking at the Werewolf and Wolfman in our celebration of Halloween. There is a newly relaunched Universal Pictures Wolf Man movie coming out in early 2025 and we look back at the original, plus other great Werewolf stories. Support us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

It is the official book launch of my new 700-page monster research project on the pioneer era of United States pro wrestling. The DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer era of Pro Wrestling is now available as a print book and on Kindle! I am joined by my wife Tonya from the When It Was Cool website who sits down with me to discuss the pioneer era of pro wrestling, why it is so interesting, how it really influenced modern pro wrestling, plus much more. If you have ever wondered about pro wrestling in the U.S. before Frank Gotch then check out this week's podcast!

Today we pull from our Patreon feed at https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool an episode of DragonKing Dark Podcast discussing The Mummy! Why are mummies associated with Halloween? Why is the mummy frightning? Plus great Mummy movies and more! Check us out at When It Was Cool for more great horror and Halloween podcasts.

Celebrate Halloween with a horror movie review selection from our Patreon archive at When It Was Cool. Join us as we look back at probably the greatest horror film ever made - the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool

Celebrating Halloween all month long at When It Was Cool we have another offering from our Patreon selection from the DragonKing Dark Podcast - The story of Dracula! The vampire and Dracula are highly associated with Halloween. Let's look at the macabre history and pop culture impact of the king of the vampires! Support us on Patreon and get instant access to all the DragonKing Dark episodes! When It Was Cool | creating a Website and Podcast Network | Patreon

To celebrate Halloween this month I pull from our Patreon archives an episode of DragonKing Dark discussing Frankenstein. What is the line between life and death? What was the Victorian Era fascination with death? All of that and much more is discussed on this episode. Patreon supporters get full access to the complete archives of DragonKing Dark Podcast at When It Was Cool.

It's that time of year again, Dave Meltzer has sent out the 2024 ballots for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. This is my most popular show of the year (two parts with part 2 airing next week) and we have a lot to discuss this year. Will the multitude of tag teams introduced over the last few years get in? What about the Young Bucks? Who is in danger of dropping off the list? Several new names are now on the ballot. So, let's discuss the 2024 Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot. Part 1. Support us on Patreon - When It Was Cool | creating a Website and Podcast Network | Patreon

We wrap up our summer of Batman series today on the When It Was Cool free feed with a review from our Patreon archive of the 2008 DC animate movie Justice League New Frontier. This was a critically acclaimed comic book and animated series and well worth checking out. Please check out our Batman in Order podcast and article series at https://www.whenitwascool.com/batman-in-order-series-the-batman-chronology-ariticles-and-podcasts

Our summer of Batman series is about to wrap up next week here at When It Was Cool. This has been a promotion for our Patreon Only podcast series - Batman in Order where we cover every appearance of Batman in chronological order. This week from our Patreon archive we present a review of the DC animated feature Justice League Dark (2017) featuring John Constantine, Swamp Thing, and Batman!

The summer of Batman is winding down here at When It Was Cool and I present another podcast from our Patreon page looking back at the beloved Justice League the Animated Series (2001) cartoon which, of course, features Batman. Check out our Batman in Order Podcast series running at When It Was Cool. Exclusive to our Patreon following every appearance of Batman in chronological order. Tomorrow (Sept 12, 2024) will feature the 15th appearance of Batman from the pages of Detective Comics!

As the summer of Batman begins to wind down, I take a look back at a pretty cool but largely forgotten Justice League Action cartoon series featuring Batman. This is an offering from the Patreon archives at When It Was Cool which features over 2000 shows including our bi-weekly Batman in Order Podcast series where we follow the appearances of Batman in chronological order! Check it out - https://www.whenitwascool.com/batman-in-order-series-the-batman-chronology-ariticles-and-podcasts

Here is another offering from our Patreon back catalog for the summer of Batman series promoting our new Batman in Order Collection from WhenItWasCool.com. This is a look at the divisive 2017 Justice League movie featuring Ben Affleck's Batman. Our Patreon features over 2000 podcasts, books, and more on pop culture and retro pop culture. Give us a look!

Batman is starring on Amazon Prime (of all places?) in a new animated series stylized very similar to the classic Batman the Animated Series. The series is either getting rave reviews or brutalized depending on who you ask. Well, if you're asking me, I thought it was pretty good. Some episodes are better than others and a few are excellent. It is a slightly different take on Batman to be sure. Speaking of being sure, be sure to check out our ongoing Patreon series Batman in Order following every chronological appearance of Batman!

From the Patreon archives at When It Was Cool we continue to celebrate the summer of Batman with this review of one of our favorite movies of all time - Joker from 2019. With the sequel on the horizon, now is a great time to revisit this monumental film. Be sure to check out our Batman in Order podcast and article collection here - https://www.whenitwascool.com/batman-in-order-series-the-batman-chronology-ariticles-and-podcasts

We continue the summer of Batman at When It Was Cool with this offering from our Patreon feed where we discuss the classic Super Powers toy line (which has now made a comeback). Batman and Robin were a key part of this toy line. Join us on our Patreon page for our Batman in Order podcast series where we follow every appearance of Batman in chronological order starting with Detective Comics issue 27. We have about a dozen episodes up already so check it out!

The summer of Batman at When It Was Cool continues with another sampling from our premium Patreon feed looking at the 2019 animated movie Batman verses The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Be sure to check out our Patreon exclusive series the Batman in Order Podcast at WhenItWasCool.com!

Batman makes his twelfth appearance in the pages of Detective Comics issue 38 from April 1940 and Robin makes his debut! We get the tried-and-true origin of Dick Grayson who sees his acrobat father and mother killed by the mob in what appears to be a tragic accident. Batman knows what really happened and together, he and Dick Grayson, who he trains as his sidekick- Robin, seek justice. The tone of Batman changes starting with this issue, but Robin also straight up murders a dude. Let's talk about it! Check out the feature article here - http://www.whenitwascool.com/batman-in-order-detective-comics-38-1940