Slimed!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age

Before the recent reboots, reunions and renaissance of Classic Nickelodeon nostalgia swept through the popular imagination, there was SLIMED! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age ... the book that started it all. With hundreds of exclusive interviews and have-to-listen-to-'em-to-believe-'em stories you won't find anywhere else, SLIMED! is the first-ever full chronicle of Classic Nick ... told by those who made it all happen!As a beloved guide to the topsy-turvy and warts-and-all tale of how Nickelodeon became the First Kids' Network, SLIMED! continues five years into its publication to entertain and educate both newbies and superfans of Old School Nick alike, while remaining an essential resource for academics and critics covering this unique era of children's programming that became a cornerstone of cherished memories for at least two generations. Nickelodeon nostalgia has become a cottage industry unto itself: countless podcasts, blogs, documentaries, social media communities, conventions, reunions and the recent spate of reboot shows and feature film adaptations. But a little less than a decade ago, the best a dyed-in-the-wool Nick Kid could hope for when it came to coverage of the so-called "Golden Age" (1983 - 1995) of the Nickelodeon network was the infrequent listicle, op-ed or even rarer interview with an actual Old School Nick denizen. Pop culture historian Mathew Klickstein changed all of that when he forged ahead to track down and interview more than 250 Classic Nick stars, show creators, crew members and network execs, many of whom had not yet made their way back to the public stage as they have since the book's initial release and large-scale NYC launch event/Nick reunion in late 2013. Find out what the elusive and controversial John Kricfalusi, creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, has to say about his highly-publicized and contentious expulsion from the network during his series' first season. Learn why some of the biggest names in indie film, underground comedy and punk rock turned out for guest spots on the proto-hipster The Adventures of Pete & Pete, through interviews with the likes of Janeane Garofalo and New York Dolls' frontman David Johansen. And speaking of stars - discover, through anecdotes by Nickelodeon casting directors, how future giants like Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling...nearly became perennial members of Are You Afraid of the Dark?'s Midnight Society. SLIMED! is the oral history that gives listeners all of this and so much more about what it was like for the actors of your favorite shows to grow up on-camera in front of the entire nation, what they've been up to since you heard from them last (including those who have long left show business) and, of course, plenty of juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits about the triumphant creation and sometimes unfortunate missteps of such early Nick shows as: Clarissa Explains It All, Salute Your Shorts, Rugrats, Doug, Nick Arcade and uber-early series such as Pinwheel, Out of Control and, of course, You Can't Do That on Television. Read more