Back To Pop

Send us Fan Mail He named 200 characters like Megatron, Starscream, Grimlock, Bumblebee, Prowl, and more . He wrote the character bibles that turned a line of Japanese toys into one of the most beloved franchises in pop culture history — and most people have never heard his name. Bob Budiansky spent 20 years at Marvel Comics as an editor, writer, and penciller. He drew Ghost Rider covers for five...

Send us Fan Mail Jeremy Robinson has written nearly 100 novels. He’s a #1 Audible and New York Times bestselling author published in 14 languages. His kaiju series Project Nemesis is in development at Sony Pictures Television with John Wick director Chad Stahelski. And now he’s back where he started — in comics. But he’s not adapting his novels.  He’s creating something new. Nectar, the debut titl...

Send us Fan Mail William Harms has spent thirty years building worlds — and the dead ones are his best work yet. From small press comics in the early ‘90s to writing Captain America and Wolverine for Marvel, to crafting the entire story of inFAMOUS for PlayStation 3 (IGN’s Best Story of the Year, 2009), to serving as Narrative Director on Mafia III — a BAFTA-nominated game that ended up in a Victo...

Send us Fan Mail Before streaming. Before shared universes. Before fandom went mainstream — there were heroes who meant it. This week on Back to Pop, we give Marc Singer’s career the full treatment it deserves. He was a classically trained stage actor before any of this happened on a screen — playing Petruchio in A.C.T.’s landmark 1976 Taming of the Shrew for PBS, Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac o...

Send us Fan Mail Today, on Back To Pop we dive into the pages of comics, with acclaimed writer Doug Wagner    Doug Wagner writes serial killers in love, cannibal furries, fashion designers with a taste for human flesh, and Viking curses — and somehow, every single one lands with genuine heart. This week, Marc sits down with the creator of Plastic, Vinyl, Plush, I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Watkins (CEO/Editor-in-Chief, Highburn Studios) is back — and this time he brought the whole crew. Joining him are Lyle Pollard, creator of the slice-of-life series Tribulations, and Mike “Mez” Phillips, freelance artist and creator behind No More and the upcoming Hemlock. Over the course of an hour, we get into what Highburn actually looks like from the inside in 2026, th...

Send us Fan Mail He covered the O.J. Simpson trial, the Rodney King riots, the Northridge earthquake, Columbine, the Las Vegas mass shooting, and Michael Jackson’s death. For 58 years, Hal Eisner was there — camera rolling, microphone in hand — for the moments that defined Los Angeles and shook the nation. But here’s what makes his story different: he never planned any of it. In this episode, the...

Send us Fan Mail People know the kicks. The costumes. The Christmas magic. But they don’t always know what it cost to stand on that line — and what it takes to stay whole after you do. This week on Back to Pop, we sit down with Jennifer Jones — history-maker, dancer, author, and survivor — who became the first Black Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in 1987. What followed wasn’t just applause. It...

Send us Fan Mail Comic Creator  Caitlin Yarsky joins us to discuss her journey from early creative impulses to becoming one of comics’ most distinctive visual storytellers. Known for her work on Coyotes, Bliss, Black Hammer, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Yarsky shares insights into her creative process and evolution. We explore how Coyotes became a breakthrough moment, the intentiona...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a lifelong comic book fan decides to build the convention he always wanted to attend? You get TerrifiCon – Connecticut’s largest comic book convention and a love letter to creators and fans alike. In this episode, we sit down with Mitch Hallock, the visionary behind TerrifiCon, to explore his journey from discovering Marvel Team-Up #12 as a kid to producing one o...

Send us Fan Mail The most unbelievable three-act story in pop culture. Ron Fazio suited up for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. Then he became the man inside the costume in The Toxic Avenger Part II and Part III. Today, he saves lives as a cardiothoracic surgery professional. In this episode, Ron shares: ∙Life in the NFL and the injury that ended his football career ∙Taking over the rol...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an in-depth conversation with talented comics artist Patrick Piazzalunga as he shares his journey from Bergamo, Italy to the international comics scene. Patrick opens up about his early days studying at the Scuola Internazionale di Comics in Florence, working as an inker on series like Dampyr, and developing his distinctive style that blends dynamic action, horror elem...

Send us Fan Mail Every line in a comic tells a story. Some shout. Others whisper. Today on Back to Pop, we’re sitting down with Keith Williams — an inker who’s defined the look of Superman, The Phantom, and so many heroes we grew up with. This isn’t just a career retrospective. It’s a conversation about craft, rhythm, and what it means to tell stories one line at a time. From a childhood moment wi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a classically trained flutist who beatboxed with Parliament-Funkadelic picks up a pen and starts drawing worlds? You get Afua Richardson — musician, illustrator, mythmaker, and cultural architect whose work refuses to stay inside the lines. In this soul-stirring 60-minute conversation, we trace Afua’s journey from Carnegie Hall at eleven to the panels of Marvel’s...

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...