By Kevin HoskinsonEntertainment Editor When my wife and I first set sail on the Discovery Princess in 2022 for an Alaskan Cruise, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. We had both experienced short cruises when we were young adult but nothing like the massive seven-day trek we were about to embark on. As somebody who enjoys nature but also […]
Today is the day! We will be at Apollo Restaurant in Victorville, CA at 2pm for our Christmas Toy Giveaway. The annual event has the pop culture hub Pastrami Nation teaming up with the Best Burgers in the High Desert, Apollo Restaurant to spread holiday cheer in the High Desert. We have over 120 toys to giveaway: It is first […]
By Staff Reports May is both AAPI Heritage and Mental Health Awareness month, making it the ideal time to talk about the struggles the AAPI community – and especially Asian kids and teens – experience with mental health. In response, the founders of anti-Asian hate initiative Make Noise Today (MNT) met yesterday with members of the community in Long Beach […]
By Nolan P Smith The wrestling world lost one of its brightest stars this month when Jay Briscoe lost his life in a car accident. His daughters were in the car, and were severely injured as well. AEW and Ring of Honor have created a shirt in tribute of Briscoe, with proceeds going to his family. The pro wrestling world […]
By Staff Reports A budding artist, an aspiring neurosurgeon and a creative storyteller are among the 100 talented high school students selected for this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy, an educational mentoring program hosted at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The 100 students from across the country will descend on Walt Disney World Resort March 23-26 for the 16th annual […]
By Nolan P. Smith Editor It is with a heavy heart that I write this, as Pastrami Nation has lost one of its own. This week, reviewer and podcaster Josh Kontos passed away. Kontos has been on a number of podcast episodes when we broadcasted live from Linebreakers in Victorville, CA. He was also our chief builder of model kits, […]
By Staff Reports Actor Kevin Conroy, the most beloved voice of Batman in the animated history of the character, died Thursday at age 66 after a short battle with cancer. A noted stage, film and television performer, Conroy rose to unparalleled voice acting fame as the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996). He would establish never-to-be-broken […]
By Staff Reports In Partnership with Turner Classic Movies and Whatnot, The Ed Asner Family Center returns for their third year retelling the classic holiday tale of “It’s a Wonderful Life” with a star studded virtual table read. The impressive cast includes Brendan Fraser, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, JK Simmons, Jean Smart, Ken Jeong, Jim Beaver, Brent Spiner, Phil Lamarr, […]
By Nolan P. Smith Editor On December 14th, Pastrami Nation, a High Desert-based pop culture website and podcast, Apollo Restaurant and Linebreakers are brightening the holidays with “A Christmas Giveaway”. Over 100 toys will be given away, if you are interested, please sign up at: https://forms.gle/NtBme9gg5AMuDtKr9. Entries must be received by December 12th. Pastrami Nation has held a Christmas Giveaway […]
By Staff Reports Igloo released a brand-new Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Little Playmate cooler inspired by the celebrated Halloween Town and its residents featured in the beloved stop-motion animated film. This special-edition Little Playmate cooler is available now — just in time for the holiday season — exclusively at igloocoolers.com/disney. “When it comes to all-around loved holiday […]
By Nolan P. Smith Editor Pastrami Nation is going on a brief hiatus until November 11th. That will be the day of our next podcast and more! Why you ask? Well, I am getting married this weekend and will be out of state on our honeymoon until November 11th. Thank you to everyone who reads, watches, and supports Pastrami Nation! […]
By Staff Reports McRib season is almost here, and no one is more excited than the McRib superfans that eagerly anticipate its return to McDonald’s menu each year. From sliding into our DMs asking “when is the McRib coming back?” to creating a locator tool where fellow fans can report McRib sightings, they’ve proven their love for this delicious, yet elusive […]
By Staff Reports Funko, Inc. (“Funko,” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company, today announced its new philanthropic driven initiative, Pops! With Purpose, tying Funko Pop! characters to causes that are important to employees, Funko fans and the greater community. The program will kick-off through an auction at FunKon 2021, followed by an expansive product […]
By Staff Reports JayZoMon/Dark Myth Company has announced PCE/Scarefaire, a new event being added to the PCE roster! Scarefaire is a horror themed event and offers a wide variety of entertainment for those who like a little scare, to the die-hard horror fan. Vendors range from one-of-a-kind products, incredible artwork, and collectables to authors and celebrities. Eddie Aguirre, the man […]
By Staff Reports On May 6, 2021, Kentaro Miura passed away from acute aortic dissection. He was 54. Miura-sensei was a master artist and storyteller and we had the great privilege of publishing several of his finest works, including his masterpiece Berserk. He will be missed by all who knew his work and all who loved him. Below are a […]
By Staff Reports Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, located next door to Six Flags Magic Mountain, announced plans to reopen the park to Members and Pass holders on May 15-16, and to the general public on May 22, 2021. In accordance with state and county reopening guidelines for waterparks, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will operate at reduced attendance levels utilizing the […]
By Staff Reports Child’s Play, the game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children and teens in children’s hospitals around the world, established by Penny Arcade and PAX cofounders Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, announces that it has created 31 Pediatric Gaming and Technology Specialist positions at children’s hospitals around the globe through its 2021 grant program, an […]
By Staff Reports Igloo in partnership with Parks Project launched two new, special-edition Playmate coolers made with post-consumer recycled resin — part of Igloo’s ECOCOOL™ collection, the world’s first coolers made with post-consumer recycled resin. Both custom-designed Parks Project ECOCOOL Playmate Elite coolers — with a portion of proceeds benefitting the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) to help fund park […]
By Staff Reports On December 15th, Pastrami Nation and Apollo Restaurant held their Christmas Giveaway in a socially distanced fashion, spreading holiday cheer through the pandemic. The High Desert based pop culture news website and podcast Pastrami Nation has held a Christmas Giveaway for the past four years here in the High Desert. This year was the largest turnout so […]
By Staff Reports Hasbro, Inc. announced plans to join forces with Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley and his “Dream Machine Tour” this holiday season, bringing positive experiences to communities that have been greatly impacted by this difficult and unprecedented year. The company is contributing $450,000 to Grammy and Emmy award-winning Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley, who will use the funds to deliver acts of […]
By Staff Reports (Victor Valley)—On December 15th, Pastrami Nation, a High Desert based pop culture website and podcast, and Apollo Restaurant are brightening the holidays with “A Christmas Giveaway”. Over 100 toys will be given away, as well as 10 lucky winners, who will receive a free turkey! The giveaway is free to enter, and can only be entered online […]
By Nolan P. Smith, Rebecca Benson and Evelyn Benson Photos by Nolan P. Smith and Rebecca Benson (Victor Valley)— Celebrating the holidays will be a challenge this year as we are still deep in the pandemic’s precautions. Social gatherings are not recommended, theme parks are closed- it seems like the year’s holiday cheer would go dim. Thanks to Six Flags […]
By Staff Reports For the first time ever, Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Thrill Capital of the World, will showcase a drive-through holiday spectacular featuring millions of dazzling lights, festive holiday theming, and seasonal music favorites in an innovative, one-of-a-kind nighttime event for the whole family. While the thrill of the park’s iconic roller coasters will have to wait, this […]
By Staff Reports In honor of Veteran’s Day, the 6th annual The Jawiin Charity Drive for Service Members is proud to announce that they are going digital this year! Join founder, Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Ringo Award-nominated writer Jason Inman (Jupiter Jet, Science! The Elements of Dark Energy, Super Soldiers), for a free live 5-hour virtual event to […]
Premiering today at 5:00 p.m. PST on YouTube! Join Pastrami Nation’s Nolan Smith, Jason Smith, Eddie Aguirre, and Kevin Hoskinson for our latest podcast! On this episode, we talk about the Hasbro Pulse fan voting for their Star Wars: The Black Series action figures, the return of new comic books (finally!), Mike Tyson’s potential return to the ring, as well […]
Welcome to Pastrami Nation’s Mega Podcast! Join Nolan, Jason, and a slew of amazing podcasters, reviewers, and guests from our eight-year history! We talk about pop culture during these COVID times, debate what franchise is doing better in 2020 (Star Wars or Star Trek), and learn about our amazing giveaways that end on May 13th!!!
By Staff Reports #GamersVSCovid, a charity streamathon in support of Direct Relief’s Covid-19 Fund for Community Health, kicks off this Sunday, April 26 with free-to-enter, donation-encouraged tournaments featuring Fortnite hosted by Team SoloMid’s ZexRow and Reverse2k, YouTube sensation Michelle Phan, former NBA pro Nate Robinson, and other fan-favorite content creators. The 12-hour streamathon will be hosted by ScrimToWin, the esports […]
By Nolan P. Smith Editor (Victor Valley)– During these COVID-19 days, some of us are turning to our creative side in ways of coping and creating works of art. The same is true for six-year-old Sebastien Gonzalez, he created a children’s book, with a little help from his mom, Melanie, dad, Miguel and dog, Blue. Gonzalez published last week a free […]
By Nolan P. Smith Join Nolan Smith, Eddie Aguirre and Kevin Hoskinson for a social distance, recorded Pastrami Nation podcast! On this episode we discuss the cancellation of the San Diego Comic Con, Quibi, Animal Crossing, Linebreakers Charity Art Drive and more! Check out video and audio versions below! www.pastramination.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/pastramination Instagram: @pastramination Twitter: twitter.com/pastramination
By Staff Reports For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021. Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for […]