Chucklepedia

A tale as old as time: baby boomer loves music, starts business based on music, loves partying and hanging out but also loves going into millions of dollars of debt even as he charges up to $20 for a CD until the world decides music should be (mostly) free. On this episode we delve into the life and times of Russ Solomon, all-around nice guy and bad businessman who still somehow became the head of one of the biggest music retailers in the world for nearly four decades.

As one of America's great songwriters retires, we delve into the life, times and catalog of Neil Diamond. Turn on your heart light! Drew, Leila and Jim also attended a performance of Northern California's premiere Neil Diamond tribute/cover band to prepare for the episode and we catch up on Jim's recent grappling matches and poetry readings and the next I Think I'd Be Good At That.

In our era of nonstop Hollywood scandals and drama, for this episode we delve into the life and times of one of Hollywood's greatest stories: the life of Judy Garland. Hear about her childhood rise to fame, her time as one of MGM's most valuable workhorses and the pills, marriages and turmoil that did her in. Also on this episode: it's been almost two months since our last episode, lots to catch up on.

The kids were nestled in their beds and it's time for the annual Chucklepedia Krampusode! Drew, Jim and Leila discuss the traditions of Christmas, the legend of Krampus and trying to be Woke while watching old Christmas movies and specials.

What do you do when you're a widow with an endless supply of cash, a fear of ghosts haunting you from how you got your fortune AND an apparent hatred of architects? You build one of the biggest, spookiest and weirdest houses in the world. On this episode Drew, Jim and Leila discuss the Winchester Mystery House and its builder, Sarah Winchester. Also discussed: spooky Halloween stuff!

Because Drew told Jim there could be another episode about a wrestler when a wrestler of note died, on this episode Drew, Jim and Leila discuss Bobby the Brain Heenan, one of the greatest Heel characters ever in wrestling AND one of the few decent human beings to have emerged from the sport! Also on the show: Politically correct movies, Drew performs for hundreds of people and then five people and you, there, boy! What day is it? Why, the Folsom Street Fair!

Before Breitbart, before Alex Jones, before subReddits, one radio show gave the weird, disenfranchised nutjobs a place to spout their insanity: Coast to Coast. Drew and Jim (and Leila!) discuss this syndicated marvel of aliens, conspiracy theories, and Satanism.

During the Middle Ages hordes of people were infected by Dance Mania, and somehow David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Cocaine were NOT involved. Jim and Drew discuss this hysteria, as well as modern hysteria in America featuring political turmoil and that classic go-to villain, Nazis.

George Romero almost single-handedly created the modern zombie genre that is all over TV, movies and comic books with "Night of the Living Dead." Drew and Jim (and special guest Leila) discuss his life and career, how the zombie movies were not his favorite work and his recent passing. Also discussed: Drew and Leila just got back from Cuba, and Drew gets to reveal some big news.

William Moulton Marston was polyamorous psychologist who decided to start writing comic books and used the women in his life to inspire the creation of Wonder Woman. Hear about his life and the women who pushed him to create the first female superhero. Also on this episode: we haven't done an episode in two months, so we catch up on what's been happening and Jim takes an entire episode to make a Civil War joke.

As any Historian who watched The Flinstones knows, men and dinosaurs existed at the same time and often performed household tasks together! So says the Creationism Museum in beautiful Kentucky. Jim and Drew discuss this ode to modern science and also chat about some of their favorite music festivals.

Everybody had to read Frederick Douglass' autobiography in high school, didn't they? Since it appears our President didn't, we thought we'd revisit famed Orator, Author, Abolitionist and Freedom Fighter Frederick Douglass and discuss his life. Also on the show: Drew and Jim are exhausted but for very different reasons, we see just how young and hip we are with modern music and possibly the greatest obituary of all time.

It's 2017, so obviously people aren't going to elect documented sociopathic megalomaniacs with a history of lying to office, right? As we found in America, Authoritarianism has an allure to some voters, and in this episode we discuss Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was elected on a platform of killing drug addicts and who claims to have murdered people himself. Also discussed: it's our first episode in two months! What has been going on and what's coming up for the year?

Nothing helps spread the loving word of God like hateful cartoons, and nobody did it better than Jack Chick. Jim and Drew discuss the artistic endeavors of the one and only Jack Chick, whose Chick Tracts have helped convince weirdos for decades that board games and Halloween will send you to Hell. Also discussed: the election, alcoholic radio DJs, why Americans are so dumb and how getting older can be a good thing.

Writer H.P. Lovecraft was a timid, shy man riddled with anxiety and doubt. So of course he wrote about epic uncaring gods who will destroy all of us. Drew and Jim discuss his life, how he became enamored with worlds of fantasy and the mental illnesses that plagued his family. Also, it's Halloween! And Donald Trump might be President! SPOOOOOOKKYYYYY!!!

To celebrate the spirit of the Olympics and rampant sexism, Jim and Drew discuss the epic Tennis match dubbed The Battle Of The Sexes - how it came to happen, the aftermath of the victory that almost nobody expected and how it changed the sport forever. Drew also discusses the effect being a busy comedian has on a marriage and job and Jim makes fun of Drew for trying to read Infinite Jest on a plane.

Tex Avery was a groundbreaking cartoonist and storyteller who pioneered the comedy that many kids grow up with. Jim and Drew discuss his early life, how he got started at Warner Brothers before moving to MGM studios in the Golden Age of cartoon shorts and how his work still influences cartoons today. They also chat about Pokemon Go, Drew's trip to Michigan and driving across the Midwest in a muscle car with Tom Petty blaring.

In the late 80's America was caught up in blaming the worst of all for EVERYTHING: the DEVIL! Drew and Jim discuss why, how and when it just sort of....stopped. They also chat about Drew's new job at a tech startup, Jim quits smoking and...sigh, more politics.

Back in 1919 one of the most dangerous things in Boston wasn't just post-industrial boredom or Rusty Worker's Lungs, it was a giant tank of molasses exploding, flooding the streets of Boston and killing dozens of people. Drew and Jim discuss the incident, as well as delve into how Jim is still living in a house filled with MMA dudes, Drew hustles hard and how one of the cohosts of their second-favorite podcast is leaving.

When 8 Bits ruled the world, a select few were able to A-B-Select their way into the winner's circle at the Nintendo World Championships in 1990. Drew and Jim discuss these epic competitions, as well as some big new developments in Jim's life, a recent incident that led Drew to flip off some old man and the recent epic divorce case of Batman V. Superman.