Remember when the site used to be called Saturday Morning Central? Well, I couldn’t let that name die forever, and I finally found a new use for it. A podcast! While Bubble Pipe Theater is on hiatus, I thought it would be fun to start up a new show and try to get a bunch of my blogging buddies on board.

Saturday Morning Central is going to be a show for people like us; children of the 80s and 90s. Ok, so technically children of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but I mean people who did the majority of their growing up in the 80s and 90s. You know who you are.

In the first episode, I’m joined by bloggers Jaime Hood of ShezCrafti and Shawn Robare of Branded in the 80s, and we geek out about the new Nickelodeon TMNT show. We talk about the style, the voice actors, nostalgia for the 80s cartoon, Milli Vanilli, and much more.

• Download MP3
• Subscribe via RSS
• Subscribe in iTunes
• Read More on Bubble Pipe Network

In 1978, the first example of an expanded universe Star Wars novel was published by author Alan Dean Foster. Foster had previously written the novelization to Star Wars, and his contract required him to write a book that could serve as a low-budget sequel in the chance the film was not a huge success. He couldn’t use Han Solo, but was told to reuse props and keep the scenery to a minimum, and out of this direction came Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. Tim, Tommy, and Rob discuss the book, what it would have been like as a film, and whether or not it’s a good read for modern Star Wars fans.

Tim and Tommy are always up for talking Lego, and this week they have a lot to talk about. 2012 is a huge year for the toy company, with Marvel Super Heroes, Lord of the Rings, Dino, Friends, and Monster Hunter lines debuting, alongside additional sets in all the classic series. Throw in a few more of the collectible minifigures and you’ve got a great year to be obsessed with LEGO.

Ready Player One is a futuristic novel by Ernest Cline (writer of Fanboys) that presents a dismal future in which most of the population spend all the time inside a vast virtual world called the OASIS. The eccentric inventor of the game was obsessed with 80s pop culture. Upon his death he devised a game to pass off his massive fortune to someone who could beat a series of challenges designed to test the player’s knowledge of the geeky bits of culture he was so obsessed with. Join Rob, Tim, and Tommy as they discuss the book, including spoilers, and try to decide if the pop culture references make the book unique or ruin the whole story.

In today’s episode Tim and Tommy are joined by The Cult of LEGO co-author and BrickJournal founder Joe Meno. We discuss the new book, his awesome LEGO magazine, trips to Billund, Denmark, the joys of fan conventions, favorite LEGO themes, and much more.