culture

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 123 - Fairs and Theme Parks II /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

It’s part two of the team’s memories of festivals, fairs, parks, and all that jazz.

You may notice that part of the opening is missing. This brings me to the fact that video tapes don’t last forever. I’m working my way through the remaining 3/4” tapes, and several of them appear to be shot. I’ll see what else I can find, but the end is coming faster than I had planned. Of course, it could be the 40+ year old video player…

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 118 - Star Wars II /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

It was too big a topic for a single episode, so the team continue to review the space opera phenomenon. At one point, there’s a reference to “Vast From the Vault”. Hmmm….

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 117 - Star Wars /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

As the the films were re-released in the late 90’s, the team reviewed the space opera phenomenon.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 114 - Concerts /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

W.D. and Marty talk about concerts they attended in Columbus and Cincinnati. The opening is a bit funky—I wasn’t there, and I had the tape with the standard opening.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 112 - Ornament Collecting /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

My wife Mindy stops by as a special guest host to talk Christmas ornament collecting. This was a precursor to her co-hosting "How I Got My Wife to Read Comics" on SFPPN.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 111 - Elections '96 /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

The team remembers a time when elections were cut and dried—should Trix the Rabbit get the cereal or not? Also included is a long tangent on paper straws.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 107 - Christmas '97 /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

It’s the holiday season, and the team yammers on for a half hour of yule topics. (We got a couple of copyright hits from YT on this episode. The music actually drowns us out at times—just a bad idea all around).

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 106 - Homeschooling & Babylon 5 /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

In a rare two topic episode, Marty and W.D. invite friend and crew member Mary Hooker-Myers to discuss homeschooling (she did it for her kids, and won an award for a program on the subject), following that up with 90’s sci-fi show Babylon 5.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 102 - Paparazzi /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

In a rather somber episode, Marty and Wil discuss the recent death of Princess Diana, and the idea of the Paparazzi in general.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland from the Vault 100 - Summer of Aliens /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

1997 was filed with pop culture aliens, and the team covered them (with plenty of tangents).

BTW—while this is the 100th episode of this project, there was an actual episode 100 of Vast Wasteland, where we envisioned how the show would change if a network picked it up. We spent more time on this one than any 10 regular episodes—and the episode was lost after airing.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 098 - Read More About It /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

The team gives a review of their pop culture reference materials (remember, this is prior to Google). We featured the “Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows”, which I still use for “The Kinescope Initiative”.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland from the Vault 090 - Mascots /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

Whether it’s representing a sports team or a commercial product, mascots have become part of the merchandising machine. The team goes over the greats and the also-rans.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 078 - Old Columbus IV /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

WD and Marty are back for a final installment of their hometown memories.

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 067 - Forgotten Columbus /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

This is the first of W.D. and Marty’s reflections of Vast Wasteland’s hometown. (In classic “From the Vault” logic, we’ve already published the second episode.)

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!

Vast Wasteland From the Vault 065 - Forgotten Columbus II /  by Mark

Before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even the Internet, there was Public Access Cable. Return with us now to Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s for the journal of pop culture.

This is the second of W.D. and Marty’s reflections of Vast Wasteland’s hometown. (In classic “From the Vault” logic, the first episode will come later.)

Thanks to TVsStevePatrick for the updated theme!