Back To Pop

Send us Fan Mail She was a five-time World Karate Champion before the world even knew her name. Then Hong Kong discovered her, and Hollywood spent the next three decades trying to keep up. From the high-octane streets of 1980s Hong Kong in Yes, Madam! to the cult-classic grit of China O’Brien and her latest powerhouse project Black Creek, Cynthia Rothrock didn’t just join the action genre—she rede...

Send us Fan Mail In December of 1993, a small team of artists was handed an impossible assignment: take a direct-to-video project, pivot to a theatrical film, and deliver it in just eight months. It should’ve been a disaster. Instead, it became the gold standard. This week on Back To Pop, we’re celebrating Batman: Mask of the Phantasm—a noir tragedy wrapped in a mystery, draped in Art Deco shadows...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve heard this voice a hundred times… but chances are, you’ve never heard him. Jason Paige is the voice of the original Pokémon anthem—a song that defined a global generation. But that’s just the cover. Peel it back, and you find a working artist with an astonishing body of work that you've probably never connected to his name. From singing background for Michael Jackson t...

Send us Fan Mail Dive sword-first into the world of Savage Crucible, the indie toy line that is redefining collectible fantasy art! Join us as we welcome the visionary creator and founder of Harvinger Studios, William Post, for an exclusive, deep-dive interview. In this episode, you will hear: • The Shocking Collaboration: How William partnered with the Frank Frazetta Estate to transform the legen...

Send us Fan Mail  The Architect of Childhood - Margaret Loesch on  Saturday Mornings , X-Men, Power Rangers, and the Fox Kids Revolution Margaret Loesch didn’t just give us shows. She gave us identity. Before the MCU, before the streaming wars, Margaret Loesch was the driving force behind the greatest Saturday Morning and syndicated children's programming of the 1980s and 1990s.  As the Presi...

Send us Fan Mail HAPPY THANKSGIVING  Relive your childhood with the voice that defined a generation! In this unforgettable episode, host Marc Childs steps Back to Pop with the multi-talented Patricia Patts, the original voice of the iconic tomboy, Peppermint Patty, in beloved Peanuts classics like You’re the Greatest, Charlie Brown and She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. But Patricia is much more t...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an extraordinary conversation with comic book legend Tom DeFalco, former Marvel Editor-in-Chief and co-creator of Spider-Girl. In this 60-minute deep dive, Tom takes us through his remarkable journey from clipping newspaper strips in Queens as the oldest of seven kids to becoming one of the most influential figures in comics history. We explore his early days breaking...

Send us Fan Mail **He voiced your childhood hero. He survived a war. Now he’s breaking barriers in Hollywood.** From the jungles of Cambodia to becoming one of the most versatile actors in modern entertainment, François Chau’s journey will leave you speechless. This is the story Hollywood didn’t want you to hear. ## The Man Behind Your Favorite Characters Remember Quick Kick from **G.I. Joe**? The...

Send us Fan Mail Holy career arc, Batman! This week on Back to Pop, we’re joined by the legendary Loren Lester—the voice behind Robin and Nightwing in the iconic Batman: The Animated Series. And more!  What You’ll Hear: 🎭 The Broadway Debut – How Loren made it to the Kit Kat Club in Cabaret after five decades in the business 🦇 Behind the Bat-Family – Inside stories from recording, plus returning...

Send us Fan Mail She’s the mother who protected Elliott in E.T., the woman who fought a rabid Saint Bernard in Cujo, and the primal force behind The Howling. For over four decades, Dee Wallace has moved seamlessly between heartwarming classics and the darkest corners of horror, creating an unforgettable legacy on screen. In this episode of Back to Pop, host Marc Childs sits down with the legendary...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Back to Pop , Marc Childs sits down with Joe Pruett — Eisner Award–winning writer, editor, and publisher whose career has shaped the independent comics landscape for over three decades. From his early days assisting Bob Burden on Flaming Carrot to co-founding AfterShock Comics and now leading the horror imprint Ninth Circle , Joe has dedicated his career to empowering...

Send us Fan Mail # Mike Vosburg: From Underground Comics to Emmy Gold What happens when a 15-year-old comic fanboy launches his own fanzine and never stops creating? You get Mike Vosburg—a legendary artist whose pen has shaped everything from underground comics and Marvel’s GI Joe to HBO’s iconic Tales from the Crypt and Emmy-winning animation. In this episode, we trace Mike’s extraordinary journe...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the Dark Knight meets Gothic horror? You get Kelley Jones — the artist who turned Batman into a living nightmare and made the shadows themselves come alive. From Micronauts to Red Rain, Kelley’s journey through comics has been anything but ordinary. In this episode, we explore his early days growing up in Citrus Heights, discovering Marvel reprints, and landing h...

Send us Fan Mail From disco-fueled sci-fi musicals to zombie-fighting cult classics and outrageous dark comedies—Catherine Mary Stewart has done it all. In this episode of Back to Pop, we sit down with the actress who became an ’80s icon through some of the most beloved films of the decade. ✨ Highlights include: Catherine’s leap from London stage training to her spontaneous audition for The Apple...

Send us Fan Mail  Step inside Gotham’s shadows with legendary animation director Kevin Altieri, the creative force behind some of Batman: The Animated Series’ most unforgettable episodes. In this deep-dive conversation, Kevin reveals the directing choices, visual techniques, and collaborative magic that helped redefine what television animation could be. From the noir spectacle of “On Leather Wing...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we sit down with Stan Bush, the Grammy-winning rocker whose anthems fueled everything from Transformers: The Movie to Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and beyond. With classics like The Touch, Dare, Fight to Survive, and Never Surrender, Bush’s music became the battle cry of underdogs and heroes across decades of pop culture. In this conversation, Stan opens up about: The early s...

Send us Fan Mail Before he was shaping the Marvel Universe, Gerry Conway was a teenager from Brooklyn with a letter printed in Fantastic Four #50. Just three years later, he was a published writer at DC Comics. By 19, he was scripting The Amazing Spider-Man—and soon after, he would pen one of the most pivotal moments in comic history: the death of Gwen Stacy. In this episode of Back to Pop, Gerry...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Back to Pop! I’m your host, Marc Childs — and today’s guest is an actor whose voice has crossed worlds of animation, live action, and video games. You know him as Nightcrawler in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97, as Haytham Kenway in Assassin’s Creed III, and as the mighty dragon Sol Regem in The Dragon Prince. But beyond the booth, Adrian Hough is a storyteller...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: What happens when a comics fan becomes one of the most trusted voices in Star Wars storytelling—and then takes on Tim Burton’s Batman? This week, we’re joined by John Jackson Miller, the acclaimed author behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Kenobi, and the brand-new Batman: Resurrection. Miller’s journey from running Comics & Games Retailer magaz...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you mix a Grammy-nominated accordion goddess, a fearless feminist firebrand, and the wildest stage presence to hit HBO in the ’80s? You get comedy legend Judy Tenuta — and today, we’re exploring her incredible legacy with filmmaker Taylor Blackwell. Episode Highlights: •The making of “It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story” — a vibrant mini-biopic that’s equal parts...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready to rediscover the worlds that shaped your childhood—and the nightmares that still send chills down your spine. In this episode, we sit down with David Kirschner, the creative force behind An American Tail, Child’s Play, Hocus Pocus and so much more. Before he created pop‑culture icons, Kirschner designed album covers for Neil Diamond and worked with Jim Henson on Sesame...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what it takes to voice an entire cast of characters in a single show? Or how an actor brings psychological terror to life as Metal Gear Solid’s unforgettable Psycho Mantis? Join us for an extraordinary deep-dive with Doug Stone, the legendary voice actor who’s brought countless characters to life across animation, anime, and video games. From leading the heroic M.A.S...

Send us Fan Mail What if a postcard could change your life? Welcome to Back to Pop, the podcast that dives deep into the stories behind the stories in comics, pop culture, and the creative industry. Each episode features intimate conversations with the legends, innovators, and unsung heroes who shaped the entertainment we love. From Marvel editors to European comic translators, from educational co...

Send us Fan Mail Before “Me Grimlock!” echoed across Saturday mornings, before Spirit walked calmly through the chaos of G.I. Joe missions, there was a young performer discovering the power of voice. In this heartfelt and hilarious episode of Back to Pop, we sit down with voice acting legend Gregg Berger—the man behind Grimlock, Spirit, Firefly, Ripcord, Long Haul, Odie, and more—to explore the em...

Send us Fan Mail In this raw and revealing episode, we dive deep with Allison Pittel, breakout star of indie horror hits Stream and Screamboat. From her leap to NYC’s acting grind to the Meisner method that shaped her craft, Allison unpacks the real journey behind the scream queen spotlight. 🎬 SEGMENTS INCLUDE: Making the move to NYC & surviving the audition hustle Finding truth in terror thr...