Category: After Dark
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DragonKing Dark: The murder of Tupac Shakur
The 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues on DragonKing Dark with a look at the shooting death of 25-year-old rapper Tupac Shakur. To say that 2Pac was controversial would be a huge understatement. But, he was also talented and had a giant impact on pop culture. He was also legit when it came…
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DragonKing Dark: The bizarre twists in the death of Elvis
We continue our look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history with taking a look at one of the biggest: the death of the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. Let’s be honest: you probably know everything you want to know about the death of Elvis…or do you? On this episode,…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Brandon Lee
The next installment in our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history goes back to March 1993 when Brandon Lee, actor and son of legendary pop culture icon Bruce Lee, was killed on the set of the dark gothic comic book inspired movie The Crow — the inspiration for Sting’s dark character in WCW. Gunned…
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DragonKing Dark: The murder of Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell
Pantera was a band with a lot of issues. So many, in fact, that it wasn’t even a band any longer. An incendiary interview in a magazine and a massive failure on the part of mental health services led to one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history when a disturbed fan entered…
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DragonKing Dark: The Chris Benoit double murder/suicide
As we approach the 14th anniversary of the killing of Nancy and Daniel Benoit by Chris Benoit, who then killed himself, we take a look back at this tragedy as one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. This episode, I present an interview I did with Chris & Nancy: The True Story of…
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DragonKing Dark: The day the music died
It was shocking, tragic, and immortalized in song. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper (and nearly Waylon Jennings) were killed in a plane crash during a concert tour. Cut down before their prime years began, the shocking truth is that this was even a bigger tragedy than it seemed due to the potential…
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DragonKing Dark: The Altamont Free Concert disaster
We continue with the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history with a look back at what some have described as Woodstock gone wrong. In 1969, promoters wanted to hold a Woodstock for the west coast headlined by the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Cosby, Stills & Nash, and others. After moving the location several times,…
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DragonKing Dark: A look at the ‘Assault in the Ring’
Two people were charged with assault for being in a professionally sanctioned boxing match, but how? On this week’s DragonKing Dark, I discuss the seedy story of Luis Resto and Billy Collins, Jr. Resto and his manager conspired not only to remove padding from his gloves, but also to wear casts underneath. Collins never fought…
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DragonKing Dark: The Lynyrd Skynyrd 1977 plane crash
On this week’s DragonKing Dark, I continue our look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history. In 1977 and at the height of their popularity, a plane carrying legendary rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was struck down in Louisiana. Overshadowed in history by the death of Elvis two months earlier, the death of…
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DragonKing Dark: Kurt Cobain’s final farewell
Our continuing look at the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues with the tragic self-inflicted death of then 27-year-old Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Cobain was several things: talented, influential, likable and troubled. Some have suggested more sinister motives behind his death to the degree there have been documentary films made on the subject. In…
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DragonKing Dark: The fatal Dale Earnhardt crash
On a new DragonKing Dark, I continue our weekly look into the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. This time, I explore the fatal accident of Dale Earnhardt in Daytona Beach, FL, at 2001’s NASCAR Daytona 500 when 17 million people witnessed the death of the most popular driver in the sport. Some say…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Owen Hart
My look at the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues with one of the darkest days in pro wrestling history. In May 1999, WWE was holding one of its monthly pay-per-views in Kansas City, MO when 34-year-old Owen Hart fell to his death while performing an ill-advised and unnecessary stunt that almost happened…
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DragonKing Dark: The 1955 Le Mans racing disaster
We begin a new series this week on DragonKing Dark: The 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. These aren’t ranked in any particular order because, how could you, but when this series is completed, it will comprise a new “The 100” list at WhenItWasCool.com. The 1955 Le Mans race in France stands as the…
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DragonKing Dark: Gloria Ramirez aka ‘The Toxic Lady’
It sounds like urban legend and surely, the details of the story must be exaggerated. But as it turns out, there was a lady in California named Gloria Ramirez who showed up to the emergency room who was very sick and appeared to have a crystal type substance in her blood. She then radiated fumes…
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DragonKing Dark: Finding ‘off-world vehicles not made of this Earth’
This week on the DragonKing Dark Podcast, host Karl Stern takes a look at a March 20202 statement from a U.S. defense contractor that made news last year. A defense contractor, who was also a consultant for the Pentagon UFO program, said they had come into possession of “off-world vehicles not made on this Earth.” But…
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DragonKing Dark: A look at HBO Max’s ‘Alabama Snake’
This special episode of the DragonKing Dark Podcast combines true crime with religion and backwoods strangeness. There is a documentary on HBO Max that, I suppose, is their answer to the insanely popular Tiger King called Alabama Snake which takes place just up the road from me. Tony from WhenItWasCool.com joins me to discuss the…
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DragonKing Dark: ‘We interrupt this program…’
We once again visit our museum of curiosities on DragonKing Dark and on this episode…wait, no we don’t. Stop, just stop. Why are we all ignoring the fact that seemingly every week for the last couple of years, both the media and government seem to be prepping us to finally admit that UFOs (at least…
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DragonKing Dark: The crystal skulls
Multiple crystal carved stones are discovered throughout Mexico and South America — both a staple of popular culture and a fun story. Known as the crystal skulls, the thirteen of them supposedly have mystical powers and perhaps are tied to extraterrestrials. Any or none of this may be true, but the story of the skulls is one…
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DragonKing Dark: The Baltic Sea anomaly
We enter our mythical museum of curiosities again as this time, we travel beneath the Baltic Sea to find something very strange. This object isn’t a work of fiction, nor is it something ethereal. It is a real existing thing that can be studied… but what is it? Of all the structures of unusual nature…
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DragonKing Dark: The Pyramids
This week we enter our mythical museum of curiosities to examine one of the oldest and largest structures on planet Earth — the Great Pyramid. For over 3000 years the Great Pyramid at Giza was the tallest structure on the planet. Despite the fact we can still see and study these massive structures today, there…