Review of Galacticast

In April 2006, Miss Kitka decided to end her popular vlog Kikast after just 20 episodes. Instead of continuing with the sexually-charged news show, she traded in her pasties for a Star Trek sweater and a plastic ray gun. In May 2006, the creative, nerdy minds of Rudy Jahchan and the former Kitka, Casey McKinnon launched Galacticast – a temple to all things Star Trek, Star Wars, and the universe of campy, intergalactic travels. The site’s content covers every corner of Sci-Fi media, from the critically acclaimed (A Clockwork Orange) to the downright forgettable (Lost in Space). There’s nothing too obscure for this “Lo-Fi Sci-Fi” comedic duo.

Basically, McKinnon and Jachan make shows to the beat of their campy, parodist, Stormtrooper-helmed drummer. Some entries are acute send–ups of popular sci–fi, sometimes they parody trailers and safety videos, sometimes they talk shop, sometimes they interview prominent scifi personalities like comic book creator

George Perez, and, occasionally, they just freak out. They’re the kind of people who relish in rumors about a new Night Rider remake and the 29^th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars. All videos are short (usually two to five minutes) and extremely low budget (handheld video camera, minimal lighting, and free-for-all acting), but that doesn’t stop McKinnon and Jachan from utilizing fast-paced editing, costumes, special effects, and more green screen superimposing than I’ve ever seen in a internet television show (well, almost).

In one of the more original entries, the pair argues over prospective names for its upcoming sci-fi baby. Some suggestions include Gurney, Starbuck, Zargon, and Prince Adam, a reference to the old Masters of the Universe cartoon. As the two say in the skit, “normal is the new strange.”