Canon Fodder

Episode Twenty-Five: Now, We're Playing with Power

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 23:08:07 -0500

From Atari joysticks to online lobbies, we’re talking about the consoles that changed how we play!

Join Jeff and Stephen as Canon Fodder explores the journey from arcades to living rooms, Nintendo’s rise to pop-culture domination, and the games we still can’t put down. We revisit Mario, both NES Zeldas, and The Wizard before settling some scores in a Genesis vs. Super Nintendo Canon or Fodder showdown.

Then it’s handheld bragging rights, PlayStation and Xbox, Nintendo 64 and GameCube, and the online revolution that let Player Two join us from across the world.

We’re also taking Nintendo to court: would Mario and company be better off leaving hardware behind and going third-party? The prosecution and defense have some explaining to do.

Plus, three current events, Stephen’s Strange Story, and Final Fodder on rising prices, industry layoffs, handheld PCs, and what comes next for consoles.

What was your first console—and which one still deserves the crown? Tell us in the comments!

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Subscribe and watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

#CanonFodder #ConsoleWars #RetroGaming #Nintendo #GamingPodcast

Episode Twenty-Four: A Nightmare Halloween on Friday is Child's Play in Texas

Jeff Ackenback — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 22:53:44 -0400

Twenty-five killers. One survivor. Two hosts (one with questionable survival instincts.)

Tonight on Canon Fodder, Jeff and Stephen take a stab at the world of slashers! We’re finding out which slashers we are, tackling a little Q Slash A, and putting 25 horror killers through a winner-stays-on gauntlet to crown the Last Slasher Standing.

Then we’ll create our own Canon Fodder Slasher and test our survival instincts in Final Fodder. Would we make it to the sequel—or barely survive the opening credits?

Plus, current events and Stephen’s Strange Story!

Join us live and weigh in: Who deserves the crown, and which slasher would YOU stand a chance against? PLUS we begin with a surprise unknown EVEN TO STEPHEN!

#CanonFodder #SlasherMovies #HorrorMovies #Halloween #HorrorPodcast

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Twenty-Three: The Monster at the End of This Pod

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:52:47 -0400

Sixteen types of horror creatures enter. Only one leaves with the crown.

Tonight on Canon Fodder, Jeff and Stephen celebrate Halloween with a monster tournament! Vampires, zombies, ghosts, and werewolves lead four regions packed with witches, demons, aliens, evil dolls, and other things you really don’t want following you home.

We’re debating iconic movie depictions, picking our favorites, and making some deeply questionable survival plans as we crown the ultimate horror-movie creature. Along the way, we put familiar horror tropes on trial in Canon or Fodder. Running upstairs instead of outside? Splitting up? Dropping the weapon before the monster is definitely dead? We have thoughts.

Then, regardless of what happens in the bracket, it’s vampires versus werewolves in Final Fodder: their origins, powers, weaknesses, box-office success, and the all-important question—which would we rather become?

Plus, current events and Stephen’s Strange Story!

Join us live, make your picks in the chat, and tell us which monster we eliminated far too soon.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Subscribe and watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Twenty-Two: Whatever a Spider Can... (Franchise Four Finale - Spider-Man)

Jeff Ackenback — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 22:46:47 -0400

With great power comes great debate—and tonight, we’re putting Spider-Man under the microscope!

In the final chapter of Canon Fodder’s Franchise Four, Jeff and Stephen swing through the worlds of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, and Miles Morales. Who’s the best behind the mask? Who gets Peter Parker—or Miles—right? And which Spider-Man has the strongest movies and villains?

We’re revisiting the Tobey trilogy, playing Canon or Fodder with the Amazing Spider-Man films, and talking Tom Holland and the animated Spider-Verse. Plus: the Spider-Man 4 we never got, missed opportunities, and the moments that made us love our friendly neighborhood hero.

We’ll also kick things off with current events and Stephen’s Strange Story!

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Subscribe and watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Twenty-One: Fast, Furious, and (Questionable) Physics (Franchise Four, Part 3 - Fast and Furious)

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:32:16 -0400

It started with street racing and stolen DVD players. Somehow, we ended up in space.

Jeff and Stephen continue Canon Fodder’s Franchise Four with Fast & Furious! We revisit the early films, explore how “family” became the franchise’s foundation, and debate the leap from racing movies to outrageous action spectacles.

We rank the franchise’s biggest guest stars—from Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham to Charlize Theron, John Cena, and more—then play Canon or Fodder with F9 and Fast X. Secret siblings, returning characters, impossible stunts: what belongs, and what could we leave behind?

We also reflect on Paul Walker’s legacy and Furious 7’s farewell, discuss what we want from the franchise’s future, and answer the most important question: Do we live our lives a quarter mile at a time?

Buckle up. There’s always room for more family.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Subscribe to our YouTube channel (and watch us live each week) at https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Twenty: The Pod Who Lived (Franchise Four, Part Two - Wizarding World)

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:53:15 -0400

Canon Fodder continues the epic tour through the Franchise FInal Four, taking a stop at Hogwarts for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Join Jeff and Stephen live, as they discuss everything you've ever wanted to know (and lots you didn't) about Harry Potter.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Watch us on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder?si=QL-ZKleh0xECQH8H

Episode Nineteen: Assemble! (Franchise Four, Part One - MCU)

Jeff Ackenback — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:44:21 -0400

We begin the Franchise Four special episodes with an extensive look at the MCU and all its ups and downs. Join Jeff Ackenback and Stephen Flores as they look through alternate timelines, what if scenarios, and every MCU movie to determine what makes this franchise so successful.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Eighteen: Franchise Frenzy

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:34:32 -0400

🎬 64 FRANCHISES. 4 REGIONS. ONE FINAL FOUR.

Tonight on Canon Fodder, Jeff and Stephen enter the most dangerous kind of tournament: one where everyone thinks their favorite franchise deserves to survive.

Movies. TV. Games. Superheroes. Sci-fi. Horror. Comedy. Giant cultural institutions that have absolutely no business being compared to each other… which is exactly why we’re doing it.

We’ve built a 64-franchise bracket, and we’re working through all four regions LIVE, matchup by matchup, until only the Final Four remain.

Expect impossible choices, passionate arguments, questionable logic, painful eliminations, and at least one matchup that may have been created specifically to cause emotional distress.

And if Jeff and Stephen can’t agree? We have a tiebreaker.

No ultimate champion tonight. We stop when we reach the Final Four — because some arguments deserve their own episode.

Join us live, make your picks in the chat, and tell us exactly how wrong we are.

🎙️ Canon Fodder
Where everything is canon… until it isn’t.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com
Watch us live each week on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

Episode Seventeen: Pocket Monster Mash

Jeff Ackenback — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 23:27:30 -0400

Welcome back! This week, Stephen Flores is joined by Craig Banister (returning guest, famed member of Quarantined and the Lasting Hope), as they teach Jeff Ackenback all about the magical and mystical world of Pokemon! From favorite games to the ones best suited to Jeff's personality, join us as we learn EVERYTHING about the Pokemon canon...and have a lot of fun along the way.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Watch us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/I8jVLKU5de0?si=VJe8_AAA4hbnFouN

Episode Sixteen: Scary Stories to Tell in the Pod

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:40:13 -0400

We are back, and this time...there's more. Beginning with episode sixteen, your Canon Fodder crew will be streaming each episode live on YouTube (despite all of Jeff's many misgivings). We will still post each episode weekly on your favorite podcast feed, but...if you, for some reason, also want to see and interact with us, here's how: https://www.youtube.com/@therealcanonfodder

A quick apology, in this episode, due to some technical difficulties the first few minutes have a slight reverb which is fairly quickly fixed. Be prepared to hear twice the Jeff as usual for one or two minutes.

Speaking of this episode, we touch on everything scary. Stephen is not a horror fan, Jeff is. The two of them decide what works, what doesn't, and play America's favorite game: Canon or Fodder.

As always, e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Fifteen: The End of the Worlds as We Know Them

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 01:18:16 -0400

When (if ever) should a franchise stay dead? Is too much a good thing or a bad thing? Who decides? We do. In this episode. Find out what's canon and what's fodder, once and for all!

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Fourteen: The Looking Back Glass Strikes Back

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:39:52 -0400

Stephen is back, as he and Jeff jump back into the realms of nostalgia to talk about the best and worst of remakes, reboots, and requels. There's also a ranking game, because everyone loved it!

As always, e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Thirteen: The Lasting Hope of being Quarantined in Derry (w/Craig Banister)

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:44:12 -0400

Welcome back for a special episode with a real live rock star! On this episode, Jeff welcomes Craig Banister (The Lasting Hope, Quarantined) to the discussion on Stephen King and his impact on the world of literature. The highlight, of course, is the rousing game of "Would you rather...now what would you do," as we place Craig in the heart of some of the most iconic Stephen King stories.

As always, e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com with anything you want to say or ask. (We also accept free gifts and money.)

For more information on The Lasting Hope, check out: UCQJJ1OsuIX23hyGGuqnWiYA

Episode Twelve: Through the Looking-Back Glass

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:10:04 -0400

This episode is so packed, it's led to our first ever two-parter! I'll pause, while you cheer. *brief pause* Thank you. We are back, and we are LOOKING back to our childhoods to talk nostalgia. In part one, we get into cartoons, TV, movies, and video games, plus, as always, current events. Part two will drop next week, as we pick up the topic of nostalgia by looking at the best (and worst) of remakes and reboots.

As always, e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Eleven: Wrestling with the Obvious

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:08:50 -0400

With Summerslam just around the corner, Jeff and Stephen discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the current era of WWE. But wait...there's more. From there, they give their Summerslam predictions, favorite all-time matches, and...they create the perfect wrestler. Don't worry, non-wrestling fans, as always, they hit current events up top!

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Ten: The Unbearable Weight of Genre-ational Talent

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:32:47 -0400

Stephen is back! The world is once again right on its axis, as Stephen returns to co-host our Genre discussion with Jeff Ackenback. At the top, we discuss some current events, then break into an educational smorgasbord about the four genres most important to us. Things wrap up with a very well-planned-out and not at all strange Genre Draft.

As always, e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Nine: Bah Bah Electric Sheep

Jeff Ackenback — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:56:56 -0400

Stephen is (almost) back. Keep looking for (and especially bothering) him, anywhere and everywhere you can! In the meantime, we have (hopefully) one more solo episode with Jeff Ackenback to fill the aching gap. This week, Jeff reviews a fairly new book, Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay. No spoilers, so no worries. If you have books, movies, TV shows, or video games you'd like to hear reviewed...or you have literally anything else to share, ask, or scream...e-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com.

P.S. New podcasting software, better sound...but same voice.

Episode Eight: When You're Here, You're Family (w/Beatrice)

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:33:55 -0400

Welcome to episode eight, live from Olive Garden! On this episode, we grieve over the continued absence of Stephen (who is fine. Probably), as well as his impending return, and then we are joined by my 7-year-old niece Beatrice to discuss her fandom.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Seven: Into the Mail-tiverse

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:28:15 -0400

With Stephen off putting "real life issues" ahead of our fans, Jeff picks up the bag...the mail bag. Welcome to episode seven, where the e-mails are real, and the responses are genuine. Mostly.

E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Six: AI AI OH

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:39:26 -0400

There is a theory that if (when) AI gains sentience and takes over, it will scour the internet for all of the people who had negative comments about AI, in general. With that in mind, welcome to episode 6 - where the points don't matter, but AI sure does! Jeff and Stephen discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly surrounding AI, as well as play a couple of games.

As always, e-mail is at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com, and tell all of your friends!

Episode Five: Star Crossed

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:37:23 -0400

The world is clearly divided into two groups. Groups that run everything, take all our money, and expect our total loyalty. Those groups are, of course, Star Trek fans and Star Wars fans. In this episode, Jeff and Stephen tackle the true conflict between the two, pick sides, and solve everything.

Thank you to @orangepesigirl (Find her on YouTube) for the music.

Continue e-mailing us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Four: It's Time to Play the Game

Jeff Ackenback — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:45:22 -0400

Episode Four: Hold on to that hope, because we are going to rise to meet it! In this episode, Jeff and Stephen discuss their favorite video games, as well as stage the most amazing video game character tournament of all time.

Thank you to @orangepesigirl (Find her on YouTube) for the music.

Continue e-mailing us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Three: Everything, Everywhere Almost at Once

Jeff Ackenback — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:54:08 -0400

We are back! In this episode, Jeff and Stephen move away from Marvel and DC to go over several topics lightning-round style. Also, we finally have theme music! Thank you to @orangepesigirl (Find her on YouTube) for the music.

Continue e-mailing us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com

Episode Two: The Worst Episode

Jeff Ackenback — Tue, 26 May 2026 01:26:32 -0400

In this episode, I am once again joined by co-host Stephen Flores, and we tackle the worst of Marvel and DC. E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and suggestions!

Episode One: The Origin

Jeff Ackenback — Wed, 20 May 2026 10:27:13 -0400

Stephen Flores joins me to kick off our new podcast as we discuss our favorite "canon." E-mail us at therealcanonfodder@gmail.com