Super Fan Todd VanGorder

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, thanks for listening to the BIG Sci-Fi Podcast. This is our in-between season shorts

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_02]: shorter episodes where we invited some of our biggest fans to talk about their favorite areas of fandom

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't miss a single episode here on the BIG Sci-Fi Podcast

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_02]: This podcast is a part of the Trek Geeks podcast network

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Hey everyone, welcome to the BIG Sci-Fi Podcast in between season content

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Believe it or not, we recently wrapped up season 6 and are doing something entirely new this time

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_02]: But before we get into that, please like share subscribe to our YouTube channel and the podcast on your favorite

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Podcast platform if that platform lets you leave reviews, please. Oh pretty please

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, please do that or comment either on YouTube or on Spotify

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_02]: And yes Spotify has a feature that allows you to comment on podcasts right on their platform

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_02]: It's pretty cool doing these things helps us get discovered by other fans just like you

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_02]: And fans like the people who will be chatting with in our in-between season content and this time around

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_02]: We have someone from the great state of Ohio

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Just like me and a good buddy of mine and one another

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_02]: original listener to the BIG Sci-Fi Podcast one of the early adopters and

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Friends without further ado, I'd like to introduce my buddy my pal the one and only Todd van Gorder. How you doing buddy?

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_04]: Doing great guys. Thanks so much for having me. It's a real treat. I'm so excited you're here pal

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Quite yeah jump right in what do you guys jump right in the first thing we absolutely have to know or what are your top

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: fandoms

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, of course if I'm a fan of you know the big

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_04]: Sci-Fi podcast. Thank you. All right. I gotta be a star Trek fan, right?

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean probably Star Trek is certainly the top

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_04]: I also thoroughly enjoy Star Wars. So there's just as much love to go around there

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_04]: The third one that that was probably one of the toughest ones to come out

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_04]: There are so much good sci-fi out there today guys. We're really spoiled

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean I thought about Battlestar Galactica Babylon 5. I was a big ex files fan for years

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_04]: But after talking with my family and friends

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_04]: They they wouldn't be happy with me if I didn't have to say that I do have a love for yes

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_04]: It only lasted one season but firefly. I thought you're gonna say that I thought you're gonna say that yes shiny

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_04]: So but and in the questions you guys asked me how did I first discover them and I think

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_04]: You know Star Wars I

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Laugh because I listened to Steve on your guys's broadcast. He always says I was there

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_04]: I saw the first TV. I was at the movie theater

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_05]: somebody posted online on Facebook a photo of a line of people waiting to see Star Wars

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_05]: Right caption is this is how your grandparents saw Star Wars

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_04]: Right, right. I actually saw it at a drive-in movie theater

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Really, I don't remember what the double feature was because we didn't stick around for it

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_04]: But we were there and it was yeah

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_04]: 1977 it was it was fantastic

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_04]: And then you know Star Trek. I really didn't get into that

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_04]: I was in Star Wars before I started watching Star Trek and I was back in the 80s

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_04]: I actually played a game and I want to spend a lot of time on this

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_04]: But it was called Starfleet battles by Task Force games

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_04]: And it was based in the Star Trek universe

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_04]: And I found the game so compelling that I wanted to learn more about Star Trek

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_04]: And so that's when I really started watching the original series

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_04]: Got an ember with it. So when when the next generation came out, which is my personal favorite

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_04]: all of the incarnations

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Man, I was ready and rare in a go

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Todd and

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_02]: myself and

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_02]: We drag our wives along sometimes they they

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_02]: They taught in his wife Jody are great friends of ours and we have a love of board games

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_02]: So whenever get together it almost always includes a board game and we have on occasion played Star Trek Katan

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Which if you're a Star Trek fan in a settlers of Katan fan, you've got to check that out

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_02]: It's really fun. It's a different spin on the Katan

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Playing but Todd

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_02]: You and I had an experience at galaxy con together in Columbus a couple years ago. Yeah, we got to meet Shatner briefly and

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_02]: John DeLancy Gates McFadden and Jonathan Frakes very briefly for a photo op

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_02]: But we had a lot of fun. What have you met anybody else or do you have any cool stories about?

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_02]: actors from sci-fi that you met

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_04]: Well since you mentioned that trip one of the gentlemen that was there an actor that was there that I had met one other time

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_04]: And have had conversations with is was Corbin Burson. Oh, yeah

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, and we we went up and talked to him a little bit in fact

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know if you remember the conversation Brian, but I think he was tickled pink that that

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_04]: Of all of his movies and productions. He's done. I asked him about 25 Hill

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_04]: Which is kind of an obscure

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_04]: Movie, but you know for us in Northeast Ohio. It was shot in Akron, Ohio

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_04]: And Corbin not only starred in that but he was like the producer

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_02]: So the soapbox derby right?

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Box derby and so it was in it

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_04]: I thought it was a pretty decent movie and Corbin was pretty impressed that

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_04]: That was the one I picked out

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_04]: But yeah, it was fun talking to Corbin. That was the second time I've met him in person. So nice nice

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_04]: It was pretty approachable as I recall. Yeah. Yeah, that's what I love about the conventions these these guys

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_04]: they all set up their tables and have their memorabilia and stuff and

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, obviously the big-name actors and stuff they draw a crowd

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_04]: but you know, you have the tables with like Terry Farrell and

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_04]: And Corbin and stuff like you just walk right up and have a conversation with these people

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_04]: It's if you haven't had a chance to go to a convention

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_04]: I know all you guys have. Oh, yeah, right

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_04]: But it's it's that's what makes it I think so special just to get a chance to see these people

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_04]: Face-to-face and and then some surprises. I mean we saw Jody Whitaker. I think

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm not even a big doctor who fan but she was just charming

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Weekend show for me. I mean she was so good

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Was it was that your first convention going off with Brian or?

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_04]: It was the first convention that I had gone with with Brian. Yes, and I okay

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't want to steal Brian's thunder. It was my first time told me it was just his first convention. Wow

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_00]: What was your what was your first?

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_04]: My first one was probably back. Yeah, I would say probably about

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_04]: 1989

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_04]: 1990 it was just here in Cleveland, Ohio and Patrick Stewart was probably the big draw there and

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm dating myself. This goes back to where

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_04]: You go to the conventions. You didn't always have to pay for a autograph and

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Not only was Patrick Stewart there signing autographs for free and there was a huge huge line

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_04]: He stayed until everybody that wanted an autograph got one

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Resonated with me that just speaks to what a great guy Patrick is sir Patrick Stewart, right? Yes. He is

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_02]: That reminds me how does an Englishman say hello to a three-headed monster?

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Hello, hello, hello. Yeah, all right

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_04]: He's on your show guys, what can I say and we love them

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_02]: We haven't told a good dad joke in quite a while so I feel like I had the freedom

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_02]: so

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_02]: If you I'm really interested in this question Todd because I have kids that know a lot about Star Trek

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_02]: But it's not their first even science fiction. It has to be kind of really in there

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_02]: It's got to have a lot of action and it's got to be geared towards them for sure

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_02]: But any of your fandoms it doesn't have to be Trek is there

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Any particular season episodes, you know of where you would introduce brand new fans to and I'm not sure

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_02]: We've asked this question thus far

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_02]: That's and that's a great question

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_04]: It's one that I actually gave a lot of thought to when I was reviewing your questions

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_04]: I had a time and ironically my six-year-old grandson

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_04]: I just found out this week was being introduced to one of my favorite fandoms

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm I'm a little sad that I wasn't there, but I'm looking forward to talking to him about it

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_04]: And that was Star Wars nice and I honestly think Star Wars is a good one to start with

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_04]: I think that there's a lot of fun things in Star Wars

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_04]: That are geared more toward attracting the imagination of younger children

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_04]: I know it did for me when I first saw it when I was seven

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And so I think if I was gonna introduce him, I'd just start right back where I started

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_04]: A new hope, you know correct order

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, and we'd go right into that and then right into Empire one of my personal favorites and then

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_00]: So chronological order and how they came out right away we saw like release order. Yeah, it's critical

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Is this your one and only grandchild? Do you have any other grandchild? I have two one-year-old

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_04]: Children as well. They're all boys. Mm-hmm. They're all gonna be

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_04]: Star Trek and Star Wars fans

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_04]: He's getting right there at that special age where he's I think he'd appreciate watching it so

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Because I need all the hacks for when I have kids and that they'll be happening and our mission will be

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Some kind of fandom. It's really easy Chris. You just give a kid candy and say if you want this candy sit down and watch

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And then you might they might catch it they might go oh, I'll do this next time without the candy

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Or you might have to give them Kennedy into affinity

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I can tell you our trucks gonna be trickier

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, well, and I don't know I mean it's

[00:10:51] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a mix because like my older son

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean he's been watching it on and off his entire life

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_00]: But now hasn't really gotten into it except for lower decks. He loves lower decks

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: But again, he's he's for you know, he's 14. Yeah, my little or my younger one who's almost six

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_00]: He was watching prodigy with me, but I was watching prodigy and he was just taller

[00:11:10] [SPEAKER_00]: You know like he was there, but he realized you know in the last year or so that if he wants extra TV time

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And does it want to watch something? He's a mommy. Can we watch Star Trek?

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And watch some original episodes and Star Trek 4 you know the whales

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, he sat there and he watched all you did

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_01]: That's my favorite movie of all time so

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We know that

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I loved your ranking episodes very fun. I forget it's like it's so cool that you're like, oh, yeah

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_01]: You you're familiar with our lore because

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_04]: I've seen every or listened to every one of your guys's episodes, but I'm probably about a strong 80 85%

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_05]: Thank you. That's awesome. Thank you, but I'll tell you Todd my grandson is six years old his father loved Star Wars

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_05]: So he grew up

[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_05]: Watching Star Wars, but then early this year my daughter sent me a picture of him staring at the TV watching

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_05]: Star Trek 4 so this Christmas past Christmas. I gave him a book who is

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_05]: Captain Kirk. Yes, because I have that this is about this is about the time when okay

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_05]: They're old enough to get into Star Wars. I'm gonna be Star Trek besides Star Wars. Yeah, mm-hmm

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_02]: You're doing what other what other we got a couple more minutes guys. What other questions would you guys like to ask my good buddy Todd?

[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I gotta go ahead. I got my favorite food questions

[00:12:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I was always so curious with like with other fans

[00:13:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I do you have particular food that you like to eat when watching Trek or Star Wars or any of those

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_01]: fandoms

[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I just like to eat Brian will tell you that

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_04]: Definitely wings right Brian. Yes

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_04]: We've had a few joint sessions of some Star Trek washing where we're we're pounding down some some wings

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_04]: But I guess it depends on what I'm watching

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean if I'm watching the Klingons and they're eating gock then I kind of gravitate towards spaghetti

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_04]: I

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_05]: Wasn't I wasn't ready for that one. It's okay. That was great. That's great. You got it you win. Oh, hold on one point for Todd

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_05]: There you go. Yeah

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_00]: So the question that I'm really curious about is is if you could create a

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Spin-off of any of the series or movies any you know whether it's Trek or not, you know, what would you like to see next?

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: That comes out

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_04]: Star Trek legacy

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_04]: Okay, fair come on man. I mean that's

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean they've teed it up, but I mean, I don't know if you call that a spin-off but

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_04]: Man I like I said I was a big next-generation fan

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_04]: So I was a big huge fan of Star Trek Picard and certainly season three

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_04]: No, yeah to just see him grab a hold of that with some of those characters that they

[00:14:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Developed further and introduced to us. I just think that you know watching

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Rafi and and

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_04]: Seven of nine seven of nine captain seven. Yeah. Yeah, I I think that would just be fantastic

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_04]: So, you know, that's the top of my wish list there. Oh, yeah. Yeah

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Guys, I think we have time for one more question. Okay. Oh

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Who wants to ask it? Who's your favorite host of the big? I'm just kidding

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Dina

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I know it's gonna say to me. I mean, yeah, Brian is our captain

[00:15:14] [SPEAKER_05]: He is he has been the captain of the ship for a long time. Adina is our technical officer

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_05]: Chris is our emotional officer and me. I'm that guy is always saying the red shirt that just doesn't seem to make it fast

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_05]: The first commercial break, but you know

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_05]: We what's most important to us is people like yourself

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_05]: Mm-hmm. Oh

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_05]: Enjoy our show. We hope we're connecting, you know, they always say if you connect with one person you've accomplished it and

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_05]: I know we have done that with you Todd. I believe

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_04]: It's like it

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_04]: If what the image that you guys were trying to make it just a bunch of friends sitting around the couch talking about sci-fi

[00:15:53] [SPEAKER_04]: Mm-hmm like most episodes when I listen to that

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_04]: It's like I've pulled up a chair and I'm sitting right there with you

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_04]: Really fantastic job of that and thank you for letting me be this just a small part of your show and again

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_04]: Congratulations on six fantastic seasons. I can't wait to see what you bring for season seven

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_04]: I will let you know that every once in a while I get little hints

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_04]: from a certain Brian Donahue. He's like guess who we're interviewing tonight

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm so jealous

[00:16:24] [SPEAKER_05]: And as we say to all the people who follow us if you have suggestions, let us know we would love to I mean

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_05]: We have 120 years worth of movies seven years with the TV

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_05]: Centuries of doc of written documents. So, you know give us we love to have ideas where to go with the next episode

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_05]: Of the big sci-fi podcast. Thank you. All right my friend Todd

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much for being on the show

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe it won't be the last time either. This is pretty fantastic

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Todd's got a vast knowledge of Star Trek guys. It's quite it's quite impressive and

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't forget to hit that like button that share button

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Share this with all of your friends all over the world. Would you please we're ranking pretty high in Sri Lanka these days guys?

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I think we broke through the top 50 in Sri Lanka. So that's awesome

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_02]: I think and

[00:17:19] [SPEAKER_05]: Go ahead. No, it's gonna say that's Arthur C. Clarks people are behind us in Sri Lanka. All right there you go

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_02]: enough said and

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Stay tuned for the next exciting in-between episode of the big sci-fi podcast shorts