Back To Pop
Back to Pop Podcast: Your All-Access Pass to Pop Culture Icons
Dive headfirst into the vibrant world of pop culture with the “Back to Pop Podcast,” where we celebrate the legends and lore of the entertainment universe. From the visionaries behind the scenes to the iconic faces in front of the camera, we bring you exclusive, heart-to-heart conversations with the diverse talents that have shaped our cultural landscape.
“Back to Pop” is not just a podcast; it’s a vibrant dialogue with the movers and shakers of music, movies, TV, and comics. Each episode is a unique journey, offering you a front-row seat to the untold stories, creative inspirations, and behind-the-scenes insights from your favorite pop culture personalities.
“Back to Pop” is where nostalgia meets novelty, where we reminisce about classic moments while exploring the latest trends that are defining the future of entertainment. It’s your chance to hear from the legends you admire and the rising stars you’re curious about, all in one place.
So, if you’re looking to get your pulse on pop culture’s past, present, and future, tune into “Back to Pop Podcast.” Be part of a community that thrives on the excitement, creativity, and passion that pop culture brings into our lives. Join us, and let’s celebrate the stories that connect us all.
Episodes
76 episodes
EP: 76. JP Mavinga: Drawing Worlds, Building Heroes, and the Art Behind White Sky
JP Mavinga has spent over twenty-five years building one of the most distinctive careers in illustration and comics — born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, trained at SCAD, and forged across three continents before landing as a senior c...
Ep: 75 Rick Burchett — The Artist Who Made Batman Move
If you grew up reading The Batman Adventures, Batman: Gotham Adventures, or Superman Adventures, Rick Burchett’s work shaped how you see those characters. His pages don’t just look good — they move, they breathe, they act.In thi...
Ep: 74 Dancing Between the Raindrops with Nelson Aspen
He’s covered the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and decades of Hollywood from the red carpet out. Now Nelson Aspen is turning the lens on himself.Nelson joins Back to Pop to talk about Dancing Between the Raindrops: Happily Ever After? —...
EP: 73 “Bob Budiansky on Building the Original Transformers Mythology”
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 ne...
EP: 72 Jeremy Robinson: Blood, Butterflies, and Building an Empire
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 Stahel...
Ep: 71 Comics, Games, and the End of Everything: William Harms
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 fo...
Ep: 70 Marc Singer: Before the Loincloth, Beyond the Legend
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 be...
Ep: 69 Into the Sweetest Darkness: Doug Wagner
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 s...
EP: 68 Highburn Studios: The Business, the Books, and the Grind of Indie Comics
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 beh...
Ep: 67 Hal Eisner Didn’t Plan Any of It — That’s What Made Him Great
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 mome...
Ep: 66 On the Line: Breaking Barriers, Battling Cancer, and Rewriting the Rockettes Story
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...
Ep: 65 Caitlin Yarsky: Mythology, Emotion, and Visual Storytellingep
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 t...
EP: 64 From Two Dimes to TerrifiCon: Mitch Hallock’s Comic Book Journey
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...
Ron Fazio: From the NFL to The Toxic Avenger to Saving Lives in Surgery
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 cardiot...
Patrick Piazzalunga: Drawing Gunpowder, Grindhouse, and Italian Gothic
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 Internaz...
Keith Williams: The Line Between Art and Story
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...
Ink with Breath in It: Afua Richardson on Myth, Memory & the Feminine Creative
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 ins...
The Queen of Martial Arts: Cynthia Rothrock’s Journey from PA to Hong Kong Legend
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, ...
A Christmas Special in Gotham: Mask of the Phantasm (The Story Behind the Shadows)
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 ...
The Man Behind the Myth: Jason Paige (Pokémon, Michael Jackson, & The Art of the Jingle)
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 ...
Forging Savage Crucible: Rob Post on Building the Next Great Toy Universe
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, dee...
A Love Letter To Saturday Morning
The Architect of Childhood - Margaret Loesch on Saturday Mornings , X-Men, Power Rangers, and the Fox Kids RevolutionMargaret Loesch didn’t just give us shows. She gave us identity.Before the MCU, befo...
"Peppermint Patty & Annie: The Voice and Journey of Patricia Patts"
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 voi...
Tom DeFalco: Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Spider-Girl & the Art of Comics Storytelling
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 newspape...
Between Shadows and Legends W/ François Chau
**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 spee...
