In the 1970s daredevil golden age, Evel Knievel was the undisputed king. But north of the border, a Montreal high-school dropout named Ken Carter was determined to steal the crown. Known as "The Mad Canadian," Carter didn't want to jump motorcycles—he wanted to fly cars.

In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, tragicomic life of Ken Carter. We explore his gritty background climbing the ranks of traveling stunt shows, his absolute obsession with outdoing Knievel, and his epically insane idea: strapping 11,000 pounds of rocket thrust to a winged Lincoln Continental to jump a one-mile gap across the St. Lawrence River from Canada to the United States.

Famously slated for a 1976 live broadcast on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, the "Superjump" became a sprawling saga of engineering hubris, dangerous miscalculations, and withdrawn funding. We break down the years of delays, the bizarre construction of an 85-foot-tall earthen launch ramp, and the unbelievable climax in 1979—when the rocket car finally went airborne, but with a shocking, secret twist about who was actually strapped into the driver's seat. Tune in for a story of obsession, spectacular failure, and the very fine line between bravery and madness.

Drop us a quick text and we’ll reply in the next episode!

Support the show

Dirt Nap City is the podcast about the most interesting dead people in history.
Subscribe and listen to learn about people you've heard of, but don't know much about.
Someday we'll all live in Dirt Nap City, so you should probably go ahead and meet the neighbors!

Have you ever wondered why banana-flavored candy doesn’t actually taste like bananas?

If you’ve ever unwrapped a piece of yellow Laffy Taffy or crunched into a banana Runt, you’ve tasted a bright, chemical sweetness that seems to have nothing in common with the mild, creamy fruit sitting on your kitchen counter. For years, people have dismissed this as "fake" flavoring. But here is the strange truth: that candy isn’t lying to you. It tastes exactly like a banana—just not the one you know.

In this episode, we are peeling back the skin on the fascinating and tragic story of the Gros Michel, also known as "Big Mike."

For the first half of the 20th century, the Gros Michel was the only banana that mattered. It was the undisputed king of the fruit world: larger, sweeter, and significantly more flavorful than the bananas we eat today. It was a global superstar that built empires and toppled governments. But it had a fatal flaw. Because every single Gros Michel was a genetic clone of the other, they were all susceptible to the exact same biological weapon.

Enter Panama Disease.

We track the invisible fungus that began in Central America and tore through plantations with terrifying speed, threatening to wipe the banana off the face of the earth entirely. You’ll hear about the frantic race against time by scientists and fruit corporations to find a survivor, and how we eventually settled for the Cavendish—the bland, thick-skinned survivor that lines our supermarket shelves today.

But this isn't just a history lesson. It is a warning.

The Cavendish, the "safety banana" we rely on today, is currently facing a new strain of that very same fungus (Tropical Race 4). We explore the dangerous economics of monocultures, the science of extinction, and whether the banana as we know it is doomed to disappear all over again.

Join us for a tale of corporate greed, biological warfare, and the ghost flavor that haunts the candy aisle.

Drop us a quick text and we’ll reply in the next episode!

Support the show

Dirt Nap City is the podcast about the most interesting dead people in history.
Subscribe and listen to learn about people you've heard of, but don't know much about.
Someday we'll all live in Dirt Nap City, so you should probably go ahead and meet the neighbors!

Is drumming an art, a science, or a raw act of aggression?

And why do drummers seem to be the first member of a rock band to move to Dirt Nap City?

In the history of rock and roll, the debate over "The Greatest Drummer of All Time" usually ends in a stalemate. But if you strip away the noise, three titans consistently rise to the top of the list. They are the archetypes by which all other sticksmen are measured. In this week’s episode, we step behind the kit to dissect the styles, the sounds, and the legacies of the unrivaled Holy Trinity of Rock Drumming: Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Neil Peart.

The Loon, The Beast, and The Professor.

We begin with the chaotic brilliance of Keith Moon. As the driving force behind The Who, Moon didn't just keep time—he attacked it. We explore how he treated the drums as a lead instrument, filling every sonic gap with rolling tom fills and crashing cymbals. Was he a sloppy player, or a genius of "controlled chaos"? We look back at tracks like "Won't Get Fooled Again" to understand how Moon’s disregard for tradition changed the role of the drummer forever.

Next, we descend into the heavy, swaggering groove of John Bonham. The backbone of Led Zeppelin, "Bonzo" brought a power and feel that has never been duplicated. We break down the physics of his right foot, his tuning secrets, and that unmistakable "behind the beat" swing. From the thunderous intro of "When the Levee Breaks" to the intricate ghost notes of "Fool in the Rain," we discuss why Bonham is often cited as the rock drummer with the ultimate "pocket."

Finally, we ascend to the intellectual heights of Neil Peart. As the lyricist and rhythmic architect of Rush, Peart transformed drumming into a compositional masterpiece. We analyze "The Professor's" evolution from classic rock influences to jazz-fusion technicality, examining his massive 360-degree kit and his razor-sharp precision. We discuss how songs like "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ" proved that a drummer could be the most musical member of the band.

The Ultimate Showdown

Who takes the crown?

• Do you prefer the Explosion?
• Do you prefer the Groove?
• Do you prefer the Precision?

Join us as we pit the animalistic energy of Moon against the heavy thunder of Bonham and the mathematical perfection of Peart to decide, once and for all, who sits on the iron throne of rock and roll.

Drop us a quick text and we’ll reply in the next episode!

Support the show

Dirt Nap City is the podcast about the most interesting dead people in history.
Subscribe and listen to learn about people you've heard of, but don't know much about.
Someday we'll all live in Dirt Nap City, so you should probably go ahead and meet the neighbors!