Live from Monsterpalooza with Kirk R. Thatcher and David Colton

Get ready for a rip-roaring, fun hour-plus as Kirk takes us on a whirlwind tour of his career, from working in the creature shops of RETURN OF THE JEDI and GREMLINS, to playing the annoying punk opposite Kirk and Spock in STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, to writer of MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND and director of JIM HENSON’S TURKEY HOLLOW. Kirk is a barrel of laughs and has a hilarious gift in telling stories about working with George Lucas, Jim Henson, Leonard Nimoy and many other talented collaborators on Thatcher’s many creative projects.

David Colton, a journalist and executive editor for USA Today, is a lifelong fan and supporter of horror films and founder of the Classic Horror Film Boards who coined the term Monster Kid to celebrate the generation of fans who grew up watching and loving horror and monster films. David also runs the Rondo Hatton Awards, an annual fan-voted presentation nominating the best and most talented writers, journalists, artists, filmmakers and Hall of Fame inductees who preserve and perpetuate horror, sci-fi and genre entertainment in all forms. Members of the CHFB and participants in the Rondo Awards extend the continuum of classic monster films like the original DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN though 1950s sci-fi classics, the explosion of iconic horror film characters in the 1970s and ’80s, up through today’s horror renaissance with THE WALKING DEAD and beyond.

Enjoy the energy of this live audience podcast episode in which the Damn Dirty Geeks and our guests chat and laugh off-the-cuff on stage at Monsterpalooza. Even so, we barely scratched the surface of discussion with both Kirk and David, and hope very much to have both back on our show as guests again soon to continue the fun.

SHOW NOTES:

Our many thanks to Eliot Brodskym creator of Monsterpalooza for inviting the DDG to record our podcast at his amazing convention. Look for the Damn Dirty Geeks who’ll be attending Eliot’s Son of Monsterpalooza convention in Fall 2017, as always! Stay tuned to DDG for Son of Monsterpalooza dates and location when it’s announced.

You can read the complete list of nominees for the 15th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards and learn who the winners are when David Colton announces them on Sunday, April 23rd at the official Rondo website.

You can also read the winning results on the Classic Horror Films Board, founded by David Colton. It’s a fantastic forum discussion board devoted to classic and new horror and genre entertainment — and you’ll bump into a few Damn Dirty Geeks in topics for sure!

BLU-RAY AND DVD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Check out Kirk Thatcher as the bus punk on the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Remastered) [Blu-ray]

Set sail with Kirk and crew to Muppet Treasure Island – Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition

See Kirk’s creature effects work in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Limited Edition Steel Book) [Blu-ray]

For more of Kirk’s directorial work, check out Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow [DVD]