The Con Men

Before heading back to Lanterns, Adrian has some things to say about Batman: Caped Crusader—and very few of them are nice. Dan and Adrian dig into what happens when an adaptation changes familiar characters simply for the sake of being different, why Batman’s best reinventions still preserve what makes those characters work, and how Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond managed to create something new without throwing away what audiences loved in the first place. Also: there is still a Michael Keaton Batman Beyond movie sitting somewhere in the multiverse of missed opportunities, and we remain annoyed about it.Then Lanterns Episode Four, “The Weenie,” gets the season moving again. Sinestro knows far too much about John Stewart, the Guardians are looking increasingly suspicious, and John is quietly instructed to take Hal’s ring the next time he gets the chance. Meanwhile, Hal and John finally start developing something resembling actual friendship while infiltrating Macon’s compound. John conjures an entire functioning tunnel-boring machine after some brief study on Google. Macon manages to capture our heroes and turn their interrogation into the weirdest possible power play by stripping naked and demanding John draw him. Thus fulfilling the episode title’s promise in considerably more ways than Walt Disney ever intended. But beneath all the weenie jokes, this one lands surprisingly hard. Zoe seemingly reveals herself as the Manhunter before apparently being obliterated by a space laser. John’s reaction gives away that he knows more than he’s admitting, and Hal realizes the partner he was finally beginning to trust has been keeping secrets from him. After Sinestro warns that John would betray him, Hal’s disappointment feels less like anger than genuine heartbreak.

It’s been a rough week in the geekosphere. Dan and Adrian remember two performers whose work became part of our cultural tapestry: Tim Curry and Peter Cullen. From Frank-N-Furter, Clue, and Muppet Treasure Island to the voice of Optimus Prime, the conversation turns to the performances that defined generations, the humanity behind them, and whether an iconic role should live on through technology or be handed to another actor to make their own.Then it’s back to Lanterns for Episode Three, which slows things down to show exactly how John Stewart became the man we’ve met. His family spent years preparing him to become a Green Lantern through an increasingly disturbing regimen designed to eliminate fear, while Hal Jordan has unknowingly loomed over nearly every part of John’s life. It’s important character work, and the Con Men dig into what it reveals about John, the Guardians, Hal, and the larger mysteries the series is building—but was an entire episode necessary to tell us that story?Finally, a promised trip back to Batman ’66 brings Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, Vincent Price’s Egghead, some gloriously straight-faced nonsense, and perhaps the finest riddle ever devised: What is dangerous, weighs six ounces, and sits in a tree? A Sparrow With a Machine Gun. It’s The Con Men Show !

Before we get back to glowing space jewelry and deeply dysfunctional mentorship, The Con Men take a moment to remember Dolly Parton — songwriter, performer, philanthropist, businesswoman, champion of childhood literacy, and one of those exceedingly rare public figures who somehow seemed to belong to everybody.Adrian and Dan also preview the absolutely stacked Arkansas Comic Con, featuring everyone from Ming-Na Wen, Danny Trejo and Tom Welling to Nana Visitor, Matt Ryan, Kane Hodder, X-Men voice actors, Red Dead Redemption alumni and enough wrestling talent to body-slam the Statehouse Convention Center.LANTERNS.Episode 2, “Trust Fall,” keeps Hal Jordan and John Stewart firmly in reluctant-buddy-cop territory while giving us our first real clues about just how powerful John may actually be.Hal’s ring is running out of juice. His relationship with the Green Lantern oath is looking increasingly complicated. Rushville gets stranger by the minute.And John accidentally creates a bird that survives after the ring is removed. It acts independently. It protects John while he’s unconscious. And everyone who understands Green Lantern powers seems considerably more impressed by this than John himself.Meanwhile, Manhunters have entered the conversation, Sinestro knows considerably more than he’s saying, somebody is financing a deeply suspicious anti-alien militia, and Lex Luthor is beginning to look like an awfully obvious answer.But sometimes?The obvious answer is still the answer.

Lanterns has arrived in the DCU, and apparently somebody decided the best way to bring the Green Lantern Corps back to live action was True Detective with power rings.Dan and Adrian dig into the premiere of HBO’s Lanterns, the strange state of DCU continuity, and the decidedly unhappy partnership between veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and would-be replacement John Stewart.Why does John’s father have such an absolutely bananas method of teaching his son not to be afraid? Is Hal training John, tormenting him, or both? Why does Hal seem happier without the ring than with it? What exactly happened in Nebraska? How much should we trust what the show has already shown us?And perhaps most importantly:Did we actually see what we think we saw?Along the way, the Con Men wander through Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Creature Commandos, the increasingly fuzzy borders of DCU canon, Guy Gardner, Sinestro, Parallax, streaming-era attention spans, the lost art of waiting a week for television. Bonus Round: the childhood trauma of spending an entire summer wondering what happened to Locutus of Borg.SPOILER WARNINGThis episode contains extensive spoilers for the premiere of Lanterns. Watch first, then come back for some real down-home spoilers.

Course DescriptionPHIL 042: Nostalgia Philosophiæ is an interdisciplinary seminar examining the philosophical, cultural, and occasionally absurd nature of nostalgia, vintage media, and the collective memory of Generation X. Through case studies including Rush, Super Mario Bros. 3, The Wizard, Cheech & Chong, Popeye, The Honeymooners, Robin Williams, The Golden Girls, and the USS Flagg, students will investigate the criteria by which ordinary objects transcend age to become cultural artifacts.Primary questions include:When does something become vintage?Is nostalgia measured in years, craftsmanship, or emotional resonance?What distinguishes retro from vintage?Why do conventions exist, and what role do they play in preserving popular culture?Can Popeye simultaneously exist as a comic strip, radio serial, cartoon, feature film, arcade game, and nostalgic touchstone?Topics include the preservation of childhood media, inherited cultural memory, classic television, early video games, toys as historical artifacts, the evolution of counterculture into mainstream culture, and the strange realization that the things we grew up with are now museum pieces.By the conclusion of this lecture, students should possess a greater appreciation for the cultural archaeology hidden within everyday entertainment—and perhaps accept the uncomfortable truth that they, too, may now qualify as vintage.Required Listening: This episode.Recommended Reading: Whatever comic book, VHS tape, cassette, or game cartridge happens to be closest to your chair.Office Hours: Every Tuesday, wherever two nerds accidentally begin discussing something from forty years ago.

The people who shaped your childhood don’t stay forever — but the things they gave you do.The news of Sam Neill’s death sends Dan and Adrian down a winding road through the actors, musicians, comedians and cultural icons who became fixtures in their lives. From Jurassic Park and a 33-year-old movie ticket to James Earl Jones, Sean Connery, David Bowie, Leonard Nimoy, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, George Burns, Vincent Price, Princess Diana, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Neil Peart, Freddie Mercury, Alan Rickman and more, this isn’t really an episode about death.It’s about legacy.It’s about realizing that a voice, a movie, a song or a ridiculous joke can become a timestamp in your own life — and that sometimes losing the person behind it feels strangely like losing a little piece of your childhood with them.Naturally, somewhere along the way William Shatner becomes “Billy Shits,” Dragonheart is placed on trial, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen receives the faintest praise ever committed to podcast, and Dan reveals that Tom Clancy and Trent Reznor have something in common with the 40-year-old Macintosh currently sitting at his feet.Because this is still The Con Men Show.Who’s the actor, musician, creator or cultural icon you still miss?

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 has come and gone, and Dan and Adrian are unpacking everything that mattered—from Marvel's next big swing to DC's Lanterns, Spaceballs 2, Ghost Rider, Black Panther 3, Resident Evil, Rings of Power, and everything in between.Along the way they celebrate Rick Moranis' triumphant return, debate the future of interconnected cinematic universes, lament the lack of Star Trek news during its 60th anniversary, and somehow end up discussing GI Joe convention exclusives, Twilight Zone festivals, and why Comic-Con isn't really about comic books anymore.

From Pong to PlayStation. From Atari to Xbox. This week, we're taking a long walk through video game history... not as historians, but as the kids who actually lived it.Dan and Adrian swap stories about growing up during the golden age of gaming, remember the console wars between Nintendo and Sega, revisit the arcades that emptied our pockets, and celebrate the games that became more than entertainment. Along the way, they dive into Halo LAN parties, GoldenEye sleepovers, Mass Effect, Metroid, Mario, Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Spy Hunter, Mortal Kombat, and dozens more classics that shaped an entire generation.Whether you remember renting a console in the blue plastic cases, reading Nintendo Power cover-to-cover, or arguing over which system was better, this episode is for anyone who ever picked up a controller and never really put it down.

What begins with Cotton Bureau notifications, AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail,” Jimmy Stewart impressions, and the Mandela Effect eventually becomes an exploration of the movie soundtracks and scores that permanently lodged themselves in Dan and Adrian’s brains.The pair dig into why people so confidently misremember pop-culture history, from “Luke, I am your father” to Sinbad’s nonexistent genie movie, before finally remembering that they intended to discuss soundtracks. From there, the conversation moves through the glory days when movies came bundled with original songs, genre-spanning compilation albums, and music videos that were nearly as important as the films themselves.Dan and Adrian revisit Prince’s Batman album, Weird Al’s UHF soundtrack, The Crow, Singles, Judgment Night, Spawn, Batman Forever, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I Am Sam, The Fifth Element, and plenty more. Along the way, they discuss Vanilla Ice’s suspiciously convenient Ninja Rap, Aerosmith’s revival through Run-DMC, the cultural power of “Kiss from a Rose,” and the lost art of giving heroes instantly recognizable musical themes.The conversation closes with an important statistical discovery: nearly every episode of The Con Men Show contains a Star Trek reference. The three that do not must either be repaired—or buried beneath enough future episodes to become statistically insignificant.It’s memory, music, movies, and nostalgia, played like fusion jazz—but not as smart.

What childhood toy would you buy back today, regardless of how financially irresponsible the decision might be?Dan and Adrian rummage through the toy boxes of their youth, revisiting everything from Figment, Merlin, Speak & Spell, and Computertron to He-Man, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Boglins, Dino-Riders, Captain Power, and vintage Star Trek figures.They talk about the toys they kept, the collections they lost, the friends who owned the playsets nobody else could afford, and the brutal adult cost of replacing Optimus Prime’s missing hands. They also explore the wonderfully questionable safety standards of 1980s toys, including sparks, cap guns, slime, and toy weapons that looked considerably more convincing than they probably should have.It’s an hour of childhood memories, collector goblin behavior, thoughtful discussion about cartoons as storytelling, and the inevitable Star Trek reference.Tell us: What toy survived your childhood, what toy disappeared, and what toy are you still trying to buy back?

Every fan has an origin story.This week, Dan and Adrian trace the roots of comic conventions back to the 1960s before diving into the comics, characters, and moments that shaped their own fandoms. From the earliest Comic-Cons and the rise of San Diego Comic-Con to first comic books, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men, MAD Magazine, and the changing landscape of collecting, the conversation becomes a nostalgic tour through decades of geek culture.Along the way they revisit the birth of cable television, remember growing up alongside MTV, Nickelodeon, and FOX, discuss why some 1990s comics never became retirement plans, and share what they’re currently reading and watching—including Spider-Man Noir, GI Joe, Robotech, and more.Whether you grew up reading comics until the staples gave out or discovered superheroes through Saturday morning cartoons, this episode is a trip back to where it all started.

This week on The Con Men Show, Adrian and Dan take a nostalgia-fueled run through the strange, glorious, and occasionally cursed world of cartoons that became movies, movies that became cartoons, and toy lines that became entire childhood operating systems.The conversation starts with Masters of the Universe, from He-Man lore and the Sword of Power to the 1987 Cannon Films live-action movie, Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella’s Skeletor, budget shortcuts, and why setting Eternia mostly on Earth still feels like a crime scene with shoulder pads. From there, the guys dive into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers: The Movie, G.I. Joe: The Movie, The Smurfs, Star Wars animation and live-action crossovers, GoBots, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Super Mario Bros., and the long list of shows still begging for the big-screen treatment.Along the way: Optimus Prime trauma, Duke’s suspiciously convenient coma, Sergeant Slaughter, Smurfette discourse, Captain Lou Albano, ThunderCats, SilverHawks, BraveStarr, M.A.S.K., Robotech, and the eternal question: which beloved 80s property deserves another shot, and which one should have stayed in the toy aisle?

This week on The Con Men Show, Dan and Adrian travel from Earth to Eternia for a spoiler-filled walk-through of the 2026 Masters of the Universe movie.Adrian brings the He-Man credentials, Dan brings the toy-history goblin brain, and together they unpack a movie that knows exactly what it is: big, weird, colorful, funny, sincere, and proudly toyetic. They talk childhood memories, the scale of 80s playsets, the silliness and genius of Masters of the Universe character names, Adam’s Earthbound HR career, Teela’s ship, Queen needle drops, Skeletor’s villain buffet, the power living inside Adam, and why sometimes the best thing a movie can do is just be a blast.Along the way, they celebrate Cringer, Man-At-Arms, Evil-Lyn, Trap Jaw, Orko, She-Ra teases, and the eternal truth that a movie about He-Man should probably let He-Man punch stuff.It’s nostalgia without grievance, criticism without cynicism, and a full-force reminder that sometimes grown adults need to sit down, point at the screen, and say: yes, that’s exactly the goofy thing I wanted.

Summer has arrived, and The Con Men are feeling nostalgic.Dan and Adrian take a winding trip through the traditions, memories, and pop culture touchstones that made summer special. From Southern heat and humidity to summer camps, swimming lessons, family vacations, church trips, beach days, and childhood rites of passage, the conversation explores how summer shaped a generation.Along the way, they celebrate summer blockbuster movies, revisit classics like The Great Outdoors and National Lampoon’s Vacation, reminisce about VCR programming and rerun season, and imagine what the ultimate summer-themed convention might look like.It’s a laid-back conversation about memories, traditions, and why summer still occupies a special place in our collective imagination.  

🚀 THIS WEEK ON THE CON MEN SHOW! 🚀A mysterious Imperial warlord!A runaway Hutt heir!A bounty hunter with a score to settle!And one tiny green force-wielding chaos goblin standing between peace and absolute mayhem!Dan and Adrian strap into the cockpit and punch it to hyperspace as they break down The Mandalorian & Grogu — a Star Wars adventure packed with monsters, Mandalorians, dogfights, double-crosses, and enough pulp-action energy to fill a Saturday matinee for a month!Is this the triumphant return of Star Wars to the silver screen?Does Din Djarin’s biggest adventure yet soar among the stars?And can Grogu save the galaxy while simultaneously causing every possible problem?Tune in and find out!🎙️ The Con Men Show #32⭐ The Mandalorian & Grogu Special

This week, Dan and Adrian limp across the finish line on approximately one functioning brain cell and somehow end up having one of their most honest conversations yet. What starts as tech issues, Bluetooth confusion, and convention-road exhaustion spirals into a surprisingly thoughtful discussion about toxic fandoms, gatekeeping, nostalgia, reboots, and why people get so weirdly territorial about the things they love.From Star Wars and Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica, Critical Role, Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, and even the infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, the guys unpack the strange cultural cycle of fandom outrage, ragebait grifters, “lazy writing” discourse, and studios weaponizing criticism against audiences. Along the way, they explore the difference between healthy critique and toxic gatekeeping — including Dan confessing to accidentally gatekeeping Star Wars from his own kid in a Disney gift shop over a Bespin Cloud Car toy.

This week on The Con Men Show, Dan and Adrian somehow begin with tabletop roleplaying games, detour through cosplay discourse, spiral into Moulin Rouge appreciation, take an unexpected international food tour, and eventually land on the question: what terrible movie ideas somehow became billion-dollar franchises? Along the way: D&D nostalgia, Robotech memories, Shadowrun chummers, Paris travel stories, and the realization that the LEGO Movie absolutely should not have worked as well as it did.The guys break down cinematic long shots like Pirates of the Caribbean, Clue, Phone Booth, The Purge, Fast & Furious, and Roadhouse while trying to invent the perfect “bad” movie concept that Hollywood would still greenlight immediately. There’s also a heartfelt defense of Mission: Impossible, a discussion about why Paris feels uniquely Paris, and an important public service announcement about not flying overseas just to eat at McDonald’s.Also in this episode:* Slug Killer Leia* Fast food convention pitches* Why Tim Curry makes everything better* Why cars absolutely cannot run in space* Why “family” apparently can* And one deeply concerning ogre roleplaying story involving roadside bandits and cannibalism

This week, The Con Men Show opens where all serious cultural criticism should begin: with action figures, shelf math, and the adult collector’s sacred distinction between “playing with toys” and “building dioramas.” From GI Joe displays to Star Wars figures, from still-carded Star Trek toys to one wounded LEGO Shuttle Discovery, Dan and Adrian stumble directly into the real topic hiding in plain sight: nostalgia. Because comic cons, collectibles, celebrity guests, autographs, and the stories we keep carrying around are all part of the same weird little emotional ecosystem.  From there, the guys dig into the big question: is nostalgia saving pop culture, or slowly eating it from the inside like a very sentimental xenomorph? Star Trek, Star Wars, Picard Season 3, The Matrix sequels, Mortal Kombat, He-Man, Power Rangers, Disney live-action remakes, and the endless parade of reboots all get pulled into the conversation. Sometimes nostalgia gives us exactly what we wanted. Sometimes it gives us almost what we wanted. And sometimes it hands us a thing we used to love and says, “Here, now be disappointed in HD.”    Nostalgia can flatten originality, sure — but it is also the warm blanket we reach for when new stuff asks us to pay attention with our whole tired adult brains. The guys land somewhere between “please make new things” and “yes, obviously we’re still watching the He-Man movie,” which may be the most honest answer available. Nostalgia might be choking the industry, but by golly, it’s still got a comfy grip. 

This week, The Con Men wander through the stars before landing squarely on the convention floor. What starts as a deceptively simple question—which era of Star Trek would you actually want to live in?—turns into a thoughtful (and occasionally ridiculous) breakdown of technology, comfort, danger, and the strange appeal of frontier living versus utopian polish. From smoky-jacket Original Series vibes to the clinical precision of Next Gen—and yes, the chaos of Deep Space Nine—it’s the kind of debate that only gets better the longer it goes on.But as always, the road leads back to conventions. Drawing from real-world experience on both sides of the table, Dan and Adrian dig into the unspoken rules that make or break a con experience. From the golden rule of “cosplay is not consent” to line etiquette, vendor respect, and the simple-but-somehow-necessary reminder to practice basic hygiene, this episode doubles as a field guide for first-timers and a reality check for veterans who should know better by now.Along the way, the conversation detours through pop culture’s take on conventions—from Galaxy Quest to Community—and why those portrayals hit (or miss) the mark. Whether you’re planning your next con weekend or just here for the ride, this episode is equal parts fandom philosophy, practical advice, and the kind of conversation that feels like you just pulled up a chair at the table. As always: be kind, be courteous… and don’t be a jerk.

This week the Con Men roam free through the pop culture wilderness—favorite podcasts, Star Trek legends, celebrity panels, forgotten comedy bits, Mountain Dew flavors, and the strange joy of media that sticks with you for decades.Along the way, Dan and Adrian trade stories from conventions, movie theaters, fandom life, and the kinds of random conversations that somehow become the best conversations.And in a heartfelt turn, the show pauses to remember a friend and fellow podcaster—because sometimes the things we make with people become the things that remain.

Dan and Adrian enter the arena this week with a surprise deep dive into the strange golden age of video game movies. From Street Fighter and Super Mario Bros. to arcade glory days, console wars, and the beautiful nonsense of 90s pop culture, the guys revisit an era when every cartridge eventually became a questionable screenplay.Along the way, they give flowers to Raúl Juliá, debate who their true fighting-game mains were, and unpack why nostalgia hits different when you’ve got some miles on the tires. It’s goofy, thoughtful, and exactly the kind of side quest this show was built for.Then the action shifts to the convention floor, where Dan shares stories from another packed weekend of celebrity wrangling, fan chaos, and behind-the-scenes moments with some beloved names. As always, the destination matters less than the ride.

This week on The Con Men Show, we somehow start with StreamYard sabotage and a typo-born “hoyman” identity crisis, then slingshot straight into Artemis, moon missions, pale blue dot philosophy, claustrophobic space toilets, and why humanity probably ought to keep doing hard things even when the payoff isn’t immediate. Because apparently this episode came with actual feelings hidden inside the nonsense.The conversation stretches out into bigger questions—why we explore, what it costs, and whether doing something just because it’s hard and worth doing is still enough of a reason. It’s equal parts awe, skepticism, and lived-in philosophy, landing somewhere between “we gave her the moon” and “maybe what matters most is the few feet around you.” It’s the kind of detour that sneaks up on you mid-episode and leaves a mark whether you signed up for it or not.From there, the conversation drifts into horror trailers, blockbuster buzz, and adaptation skepticism with talk of Backrooms, Supergirl, Masters of the Universe, The Odyssey, Harry Potter, and more.  It’s wonder, weirdness, and wandering conversation held together by two guys who can’t stay on topic — The Con Men

This week on The Con Men Show, we go full kaiju mode—digging into Godzilla, the wild world of niche conventions, and the kind of fandom rabbit holes that start innocent and end with you pricing flights to Chicago for G-Fest. From classic rubber-suit chaos to modern takes like Shin Godzilla and Minus One, we unpack what makes the King of the Monsters stick around for 70 years—and why sometimes all you really want is a flying dropkick and a guy in a suit smashing cardboard buildings.  Along the way, we zoom out and take a bigger look at convention culture itself—how massive comic cons became the “big tent” events, and why these smaller, hyper-focused shows might actually be where the real magic is happening now. Whether it’s kaiju fans, trading card diehards, or something way more niche, there’s something oddly compelling about a room full of people who are all exactly into the same weird thing you are.  And because this is The Con Men Show, we absolutely take a few left turns—detouring through South Park nostalgia, old-school toys, and the kind of pop culture tangents that somehow still loop back around (eventually). It’s part kaiju deep dive, part con culture breakdown, and part “how did we get here?”

Dan and Adrian are back to chat about the enduring legacy of 80s action, the creation of internet myths, and the art of keeping our heroes legendary. And guess what? We’re even talking about actual continuity!We’re sharing our thoughts on Chuck Norris’s passing, mixing humor, nostalgia, and respect as we consider his cultural impact—from his martial arts credentials to his 80s action reign and his early internet meme immortality.We also dive into a broader discussion about legacy, distinguishing public image from personal life, and deciding to cherish the joy associated with cultural icons rather than overthinking them.In the latter part, we catch up on Firefly! It’s officially back (sort of), but as an animated continuation. We revisit Dan’s initial skepticism and celebrate a victory for Adrian and other long-time fans.

Dan and Adrian kick things off with speculation around a possible Firefly reunion, sparked by Nathan Fillion making the rounds with the cast and teasing a March announcement. From there, things unfold exactly as you’d expect—by which I mean completely unpredictably.What starts as sci-fi hype quickly spirals into:A love letter to short-lived but legendary showsA deep dive into absurdist cinema (Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, and some truly unhinged films)A surprisingly thoughtful breakdown of film scores vs. soundtrack momentsAnd a nostalgic sprint through TV theme songs, needle drops, and music that lives rent-free in your brainAlong the way, the guys debate whether Disney can be trusted with beloved franchises, reminisce about shock jock radio, and somehow connect The Monkees, Star Trek, and Davy Jones in a way that absolutely shouldn’t make sense—but does.

This week The Con Men start with a deep dive into the early days of color film and television, sparked by a discussion of The Wizard of Oz and how groundbreaking the transition from sepia to Technicolor really was. Dan and Adrian explore the strange technical tricks used in early filmmaking — including painted sets, body doubles, and bizarre makeup palettes designed specifically for black-and-white film.From there the conversation spirals through classic cinema, Rocky Horror Picture Show trivia, Tim Curry appreciation, and the wild creativity of early Hollywood effects.Eventually the guys land back in familiar territory, highlighting upcoming shows like Blue City Con and Missouri Comic Con, along with a surprisingly diverse guest list that proves modern conventions are far bigger than just comics.Along the way they also reflect on nostalgia for classic television, variety shows, movie soundtracks, and the strange way pop culture becomes a time capsule for our lives.

Dan and Adrian break down the Mandalorian & Grogu preview, talk about why fandom sometimes turns toxic, and introduce a simple rule for judging movies:Consider the premise."Is it a good film… or a good giant-fighting-robot movie?"Rather than nitpicking every frame, the conversation centers on a bigger question: how should fans judge the media they love?Dan introduces the idea of “consider the premise”:Evaluating films and shows based on what they’re trying to be rather than what fans expect them to be.The discussion explores:Why Star Wars works best as pulp adventureWhether modern trailers reveal too muchThe role of fan expectations in franchise fatigueWhy The Mandalorian became a phenomenonThe economics of streaming platforms and adsConvention culture and celebrity guestsA detour into Galaxy Quest, Mission Impossible, and Vin Diesel’s D&D habitsAlong the way the Con Men debate villains like Gul Dukat vs Khan, share stories from the convention floor, and explain why sometimes the best way to enjoy fandom is to simply remember it’s supposed to be fun.

The week The Con Men stumble from Deep Space Nine, into Picard, Discovery, and Admiral Vance’s… culinary revelations.Then we pivot hard into 80s nostalgia, Galaxy Quest, Saturday morning cartoons, Mr. Rogers, Kevin Smith, and our most controversial segment yet: cinematic confession hour.Some of the greatest films ever made? We’re not all convinced.Plus — listener emails, five-star gratitude, and a legally ordained Dudist minister reveal.This is The Con Men Show.

Storm of the century? Please. We’re talking about the con of the century.This week on The Con Men Show, we trace Star Trek’s convention roots back to 1972, when 500 expected fans turned into 3,000 shoulder-to-shoulder Trekkies — and accidentally built the blueprint for modern con culture.Then we boldly go into Starfleet Academy — Holly Hunter’s commandant chaos energy, contemporary slang in the 32nd century, Klingon hybrids, photonic cadets, and the fandom’s favorite pastime: “Is this even Star Trek?”Spoilers. Opinions. Billy Shats. It’s all here.🖖 Engage responsibly.

In this episode, The Con Men recap convention life from the inside — from guest relations duties and celebrity interactions to the real logistics behind running a successful show. The conversation drifts into underrated films, 90s soundtrack culture, and how streaming platforms quietly game subscription timing. The guys also talk Trek — respectfully, honestly — and close with a reminder about community, professionalism, and how to be a good human at conventions.

This week The Con Men kick things off with collector talk and Transformers: The Movie nostalgia before tumbling headfirst into a discovery: 1986 might be one of the most stacked pop-culture years ever.From childhood-defining movies to “it was on HBO every weekend so we watched it 400 times,” we break down the difference between true classics and nostalgia classics — and accidentally map out future commentary and deep-dive content for the year.We also talk con season kickoff energy, upcoming shows, fandom aging alongside franchises, and why sometimes you go into new entries of your favorite franchises wanting to love them… even when they make it difficult.Plus:Convention season previewGuest excitement and circuit planningStar Wars and franchise fatigue vs franchise loveThe ongoing dream (and threat?) of Century ConThe shocking low cost of buying our loyalty (breadsticks negotiable)

In this episode, The Con Men unpack the idea of “movies that lost their innocence” — not because the films changed, but because we did. From Dragnet’s jokes that flew over childhood heads to the cultural whiplash of Revenge of the Nerds, Bill & Ted, Big Trouble in Little China, and Cannonball Run, the conversation drifts through ratings systems, generational context, and how nostalgia collides with modern sensibilities. It’s a wide-ranging, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful look at why it’s okay to love flawed movies — as long as you understand why they’re flawed.

The Con Men Bounce from the death of the penny, into the metric system’s shipwrecked origin story, and why America refuses to measure things like a normal country. From there, the show veers into tabletop RPG war stories (including a near-fatal Alien RPG dice roll), Kickstarter confessions, and the strange poetry of declaring “intent to do harm” in Powered by the Apocalypse systems.The back half of the episode becomes an enthusiastic deep dive into Central Carolina Comic Con, with a rapid-fire rundown of guests that reads like a Gen-X nostalgia starter pack: Doug Jones, Billy West, Tom Kenny, Mick Foley, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Lindsay Wagner, Lee Majors, John Schneider, and more. Along the way, Dan shares behind-the-curtain con stories (including Tom Kenny being an actual delight), while Adrian brings the fan-first perspective—who’s worth the wait, who’s genuinely kind, and why wrestlers are secretly all teddy bears.

How about an in-person field report straight from the con floor? The Con Men finally record in the same room while working Central Carolina Comic Con, trading remote latency for real-world chaos, side chatter, and the kind of conversations you only get after a full day of badges, handlers, and folding tables.The episode pulls back the curtain on the less glamorous—but far more interesting—side of conventions: volunteering, moderating, handling, knowing when to step in and when to vanish. Along the way, they dig into what makes certain guests legendary with fans (Doug Jones, Dorian Kingi, Tom Kenny), why behind-the-mask performers deserve more spotlight, and how not to waste your shot when you finally get to ask a question.It’s a shop talk episode, so If you’ve ever wondered how cons actually work, or why some moments feel magical and others awkward, this one fills in the gaps.

Episode 12 of The Con Men Show  starts exactly where it should: mid-thought, mid-argument, and somehow mid–Golden Girls appreciation. From there, Dan and Adrian take a lovingly chaotic stroll through the golden age of television—sitcoms, spin-offs, theme songs, VHS wizardry, and the unspoken social contract of “you missed it, too bad.”What begins as a riff on why certain shows worked (and why their spin-offs absolutely did not) turns into a broader meditation on shared cultural moments—when TV schedules ruled your week, when sitcoms were the backbone of the medium, and when entire generations watched the same finale at the same time… then all went to the bathroom together.Along the way, the guys hit everything from Golden Girls, Night Court, MASH*, Cheers, Soap, The Jeffersons, and I Love Lucy, to Mel Brooks, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby (handled with nuance), and the strange magic of latchkey childhoods fueled by Swanson pizzas and zero supervision. The episode drifts (intentionally) into stand-up comedy, Canadian cultural infiltration, centenarian comedy legends, and the realization that yes—we were absolutely feral kids, and somehow we lived.

Dan and Adrian start by tumbling headfirst into a conversation about aging bodies, playground-safe anatomy jokes, and the eternal comedy supremacy of “bingo wings” and the weenus.From there, the episode settles into a warm, nostalgic groove—snacks, chips, French onion dip, and the quiet tragedy of modern convenience foods. The conversation widens into holiday realities: Christmas budgeting, practical vs. joyful gift-giving, Santa logistics, and the unspoken truth that uninterrupted sleep may be the greatest gift of all.The back half leans hard into shared cultural memory: Christmas movies, Muppets, Jim Henson’s legacy, and the awe of practical effects—loving the magic while still wanting to peek behind the curtain. This naturally segues into a larger theme: forgotten or culturally sidelined ’80s movies, media that once dominated the zeitgeist and now lives in half-remembered VHS corners of our brains.*RIP Rob Reiner

This time around we enter the sacred halls of fast–food anthropology: Arby’s Gobbler, McRib nostalgia lies, flaming-hot Funyuns, Checkers fries, Burger Con, fake burger franchises, Pluto TV comfort programming, and holiday survival without shame.Double digits, baby—we’re official.🎧 Listen now & send us your burger lore.

Dan kicks things off with a birthday rundown: his wife’s big day, a middle child who showed out with a from-scratch chocolate fudgy bundt cake and homemade ganache, and a family trip to Chewy’s in Conway that landed squarely in “perfectly fine..."Adrian follows with his own downtown Italian misadventure: greasy calamari swimming in oil, kids’ menu “New York slices” that turned out to be Domino’s-sized, a side salad built out of olives and disappointment, and a Caesar that was mostly lettuce spines. From there, the conversation drifts the way only Con Men can: mall food court nostalgia, Sbarro and Pizza Hut buffet memories, tabletop Pac-Man, and then a full dive into anime and mecha—Robotech/Macross, Toonami, Demon Slayer, and how anime and voice actors helped shape the modern con scene. They also spotlight the upcoming inaugural Illinois Comic Con in Peoria, running through guests like Billy West, Barry Lowin, Bryce Papenbrook, and more, and talk about why anime fests and VO guests are the backbone of a lot of regional shows. It’s food gripes, fandom history, and convention hype all in one long, geeky hangout.

In this episode, we slide from fall vibes into full-on holiday chaos: Conway’s infamous “largest outdoor artificial Christmas tree” (paid for by the fast-food “fat tax”), $11 million jewel-covered trees in Abu Dhabi, tree-lighting ceremonies, frozen choir kids, and the eternal showdown of hot cider vs. hot chocolate—with detours into homemade eggnog, White Russians, and a Russian “Crazy Cow” concoction that absolutely will get you in trouble.  From there, the guys go globetrotting through weird and wonderful festivals: Gilroy Garlic Festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days, Japan’s Hadaka Matsuri (the “naked” festival), Lebowski Fest, the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, the Humongous Fungus Fest, Pug Fest, and finally New Orleans’ San Fermin—the “running of the bulls” reimagined with roller-derby women in red chasing you with bats. They wrap things up talking cryptids, Cajun Con guest lists, Avatar voice actors, Blazing Saddles, and why local lore (and local cons) make fandom life so much fun.

The Con Men are back, rolling straight into spooky season with the kind of warm chaos only Adrian and Dan can conjure. This week we hit everything from kids leveling up into double digits to the newest Fantastic Four (the “fourth first one”) and why it might secretly be the best FF movie yet — which, yeah, is kind of a low bar. We also dive into Thunderbolts, convention adventures, and Adrian’s surprisingly wholesome review of the new Toxic Avenger remake. Spoilers: it’s gloriously messy in exactly the way you hope.Dan also shares stories from working Missouri Anime Fest/Horror Con, including handling Ghostface himself, Lee Waddell, witnessing playful celeb rivalries, and getting starstruck by sci-fi royalty. We wrap with Halloween talk, candy debates, Faces of Death nostalgia, and the eternal peanut-butter-and-chocolate feud. As always, it’s unfiltered nerd talk, dad jokes, and the kind of Con-life storytelling that reminds us why we hit record in the first place. Come hang out, catch the full episode, and tell us your favorite Halloween candy.

Adrian (Nerd @ Heart) and Dan (deckr.media) dive into Renaissance Faires—what they are, why they work, and how they mash state fair chaos with con culture. We hit themed weekends (Pirate, Scottish, Time Traveler), vendors who commit to the bit, touring acts (shoutout Barely Balanced), kid-magnet games, and the big arena: full-plate jousts with story arcs. Adrian shares a kilt mishap PSA (choose your under-armor wisely), we talk accessibility and “safe to be yourself” vibes, and admit every con has at least a little cringe. Plus: D&D: Honor Among Thieves love, satanic-panic time capsule (Mazes & Monsters), random 80s/90s film detours, and why Ren Faires are a solid one-day hit even if you’re not in costume. Got Ren Faire tips, pics, or horror stories? Email [email protected] and we’ll feature our favorites.

Join in with Adrian & Dan as we delve into fall traditions, and a lot of CONversation about pie. We also try to determine exactly how much Cool Whip is a dollop, and is it enough?Whether you take your slice on the side, or a la mode, this pie's for you!

In this episode, The Con Men (Adrian & Dan) stumble into the idea of Century Con™ – wherein we outline the idea to celebrate the last century decade-by-decade.With a brief detour to a Galaxy Far Away to discuss a Li'l Green Fella and his Shiny Space Dad and whether or not "some Star Wars is better than none Star Wars..." or is it?Also, you can email the show with your ideas or comments! [email protected] Sunday – SNL Digital Short

The Con Men start off this week checking in on Adrian after a recent trip to The House of Mouse™. Join in for anecdotes and new con ideas! Just as Adrian is about to outline a brilliant plan for a *British TV Con... ** record scratch ** Due to technical difficulties we cut back to the disappointing nature of Guest cancelations. *Tune in to a future installment of The Con Men Show wherein we shall surely return to the topic... 😎

Adrian and Dan kick things off with a lighthearted discussion about Star Trek captains, and carry on from there. Join in for some chatter on the regional convention scene and comedy gold!

Are we the Con Men? Yes. Yes we are. But what does that even mean? Check in with Adrian and Dan as they take the wrapper off this fresh show, and get a feel for that CON LIFE.What are Comic Cons, where are they, how does one behave, what's behind the scenes? Get a peek at how the sausage is made and take notes to make the best out of your next comic con adventure.