Pop Culture Squad

With Further Ado #386: Comics Make Us Tough On February 22nd, a co-worker asked what I thought about The Citrini Memo. I hadn’t heard of it. What was it? Sounded like an old Robert Ludlumn novel that I never got around to reading.  But it was real, and it was scary. In fact, it spooked financial markets. The Dow Jones fell by 800 points, and both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq dropped by 1%.

With Further Ado #386: Comics Make Us Tough

Pop Culture SquadCast LIVE with Special Guest Rachel Pinnelas YouTube video by Pop Culture Squad

Tonight we will have the awesome @racheaissance.com on the #SquadCast for a captivating conversation about comics and more. Be there and #readmorecomics
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Brainiac On Banjo: “What Fools These Mortals Be!” “They hurt you at home and they hit you at school. They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool 'til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules.” From Working Class Hero, written by John Lennon. I am not a fan of corporate bureaucracy. It is always counter-productive. It is the enemy of creativity and productivity. Sadly, it also is as predictable as a coal miner’s cough.

Brainiac On Banjo: “What Fools These Mortals Be!”
Mike looks at the important role that Mike Richardson has played in comics and celebrates it.

@kamigarcia.bsky.social joined the #SquadCast to talk about her comics and the value of comics and GNs in education. check out the full conversation on our YT Podcast #ReadMoreComics
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With Further Ado #385: A Is for Aparo When Jim Aparo burst onto the DC Comics scene in the 1970s, he was the artist we all had been waiting for.  His slick and dynamic layouts, real-world figures, and expressive acting created scenes that were like an NBC detective show brought to life through the magic of bold, black ink. At that time, I hadn’t been exposed to his Charlton stuff, so when he started illustrating DC’s…

With Further Ado #385: A Is for Aparo

Pop Culture SquadCast LIVE with Special Guest Moni Barrette YouTube video by Pop Culture Squad

Join us tonight for another great #SquadCast conversation. We will celebrate the life and legacy of Tatjana Wood and we will also talk about comics and there impact on our culture with our guest @monibarre.bsky.social
#readmorecomics
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So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 109: Scrubbing Back In In my forty four years orbiting the sun, I have consumed a rather large mountain of content. Be it comic book, youtube video, literary work, film, long-playing cassette tape, CD, MP3, or television show… to wad it up and assign it a value? A nerdsworth seems fitting. According to the TikToks that flood my feed, my undiagnosed adult onset ADHD has likely pushed a comfort series or two upon my addled mind.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 109: Scrubbing Back In
Our Marc Alan Fishman is back watching Scrubs, and it's new. Have you checked it out? See what our expert thinks.

Pop Culture SquadCast LIVE with Special Guests Ed Catto & the CBCC Hosts YouTube video by Pop Culture Squad

It's gonna be a fun show tonight. Check out this cool lineup of guests! @cbccpodcast.bsky.social @bobharrison.bsky.social #SquadCast #readmorecomics
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So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 108: Imposter Sin-Drone This past Saturday, I participated in a one-day mini-con, by way of fellow multi-hyphenate Rob Southgate. I did the show alone — with Unshaven Matt Wright and Kyle Gnepper both tending to some family needs. Expectations weren’t exactly for much more than making table, but that came directly from Rob himself. It was a testing the waters show with the date, timing, and venue. 

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 108: Imposter Sin-Drone

With Further Ado #384: Bad Bunny vs. Green Lantern I picked up some great comics from a long-lived comic shop: Comics for Collectors in Ithaca, NY. Believe it or not, I used to get my comics from this store when I was in college. My recent visit remined me of that old saying by Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”

With Further Ado #384: Bad Bunny vs. Green Lantern

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 107: AEW vs. ICE On Thursday, February 12, 2026, reports in the dirt sheets (internet-only pro-wrestling “news” gleaned from inside sources) told the tale that AEW talent Brody King was benched due to the recent upswing of anti-ICE chants that accompanied him to the ring. I know that’s a loaded sentence that likely nixed three quarters of my immense audience — pro-wrestling? And now politics?

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 107: AEW vs. ICE

Brainiac On Banjo: The King’s Heritage “Sue Storm commands the light, Johnny’s flames burn blazing bright, Ben is rockin' the world with might, and Reed bends science left and right!” — From The Fantastic Four First Steps, written by Michael Giacchino. Like most Ashkenazi-Americans, some if not all of my forefathers lived in New York City’s Lower East Side when they got off the boat from Europe.

Brainiac On Banjo: The King’s Heritage
The street signs in the Lower East Side of Manhattan are changing. Mike explores how and why!!!

With Further Ado #383: Max Allan Collins’ TRUE NOIR While wandering around the library back in the ‘80s, I saw a detective book written by an author I knew from comics. The book was called True Detective and the author was Max Allan Collins. Back then, I had thoroughly enjoyed the Ms. Tree comic series that Collins and artist Terry Beatty created. It was a fresh, new take on the hard-boiled detective adventure.

With Further Ado #383: Max Allan Collins' TRUE NOIR
Ed talks about the fantastic audio drama based on one of his favorite novels from one of his favorite authors.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 106: ArtiFISHally Intelligent It started like a trickle in my social media feeds, that soon turned into a downpour. Muggle after muggle proudly sharing their newly minted AI-generated caricatures with glee. “This is so me” they exclaimed with the innocuous illustration tacked to their post. It wasn’t but a few months prior, the same people were sharing their AI-generated action figure memes. Same idea; same execution.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 106: ArtiFISHally Intelligent

Pop Culture SquadCast - Live - YouTube Join hosts Bob Harrison and Mike Gold as the examine current event in the realms of comics, tv, and movies. Tune in to see conversation with special guests f...

2026 #SquadCast episodes so far:
@sxbond.bsky.social
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Upcoming:
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And so much more. Subscribe now! #readmorecomics
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With Further Ado #382: I Spy with My Little Eye… I Spy There’s a lot to watch. There’s so much new stuff (and I am way behind in Poker Face) and there’s so many classics to catch up on too. Spurred on by Titan Books’ excellent biography Sergio Leone and the Revolution of the Western by the author called Amazing Ameziane (see WFA# 377 for my review), I started the year off watching…

With Further Ado #382: I Spy with My Little Eye… I Spy

There’s a lot to watch. There’s so much new stuff (and I am way behind in Poker Face) and there’s so many classics to catch up on too. Spurred on by Titan Books’ excellent biography Sergio Leone and the Revolution of the Western by the author…

Pop Culture SquadCast – Live: Episode #128 With Special Guest Duane Swierczynski Join Mike and Bob as they chat about current Pop Culture events, and welcome the author Duane Swierczynski to the SquadCast. We will talk about his latest upcoming graphic novel from Storm King Comics as well as his career in comics and novels. Be there for Duane's first appearance on the #SquadCast. We hope you enjoy the conversation. If you don't catch it live, you can watch later.

Pop Culture SquadCast - Live: Episode #128 With Special Guest Duane Swierczynski

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 105: One Player Gamer, Continue? As I’ll occasionally nod off on the couch on a Friday or Saturday night — I’m an old man, shut up — I will find myself awaking the next morning to the sounds of my children quietly booting up some early morning video games. It always makes me smile a bit before ambling back upstairs… as I used to notoriously do the same in my home as a wee lad.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 105: One Player Gamer, Continue?
Our Fishman waxes nostalgic while trying to grasp the young generation's games of the moment.

Brainiac On Banjo: “I’m An Old Man!!!” Mr. America, walk on by your schools that do not teach. Mr. America, walk on by the minds that won't be reached. Mr. America try to hide the emptiness that's you inside. But once you find that the way you lied and all the corny tricks you tried will not forestall the rising tide of hungry freaks, daddy! “Hungry Freaks Daddy” written by Frank Zappa…

Brainiac On Banjo: “I’m An Old Man!!!”
I have led a charmed life. Seeing old friends pop up unexpectedly on television (et al) happens with some frequency, and that’s really cool.

For example, a week ago Saturday, I awoke to the sight of comics and s-f retailer Greg Ketter on MS Now’s Ali Velshi…

incredibly frustrating that 'just trust me bro' is not an adequate sales pitch

Good morning. Glad you can join us.

We're gathering to make a new Trekker OGN. Kind of a classic sci-fi thing with some modern twists. Just take your place anywhere that comfortable at: TrekkerKickstarter.com

Pop Culture SquadCast - Live: Episode With Special Guest Duane Swierczynski YouTube video by Pop Culture Squad

We are stoked to have Duane Swierczynski on the #SquadCast this week. Don't miss it. #readmorecomics
@swierczy.bsky.social @bobharrison.bsky.social @stormkingcomics.bsky.social
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With Further Ado #381: Bill Anderson and Orphan Works I’ve gotten to know Bill Anderson these past few years as he’s helped make ITHACON, the nation’s second longest comic convention, better and better. He’s a phenomenal guest and always great with fans and attendees.  Although many comic fans think of him as a Marvel or DC inker, he’s also written, designed, colored, lettered  and edited many educational comics.  While he’s worked on Silver Surfer, the X-Men series…

With Further Ado #381: Bill Anderson and Orphan Works

I’ve gotten to know Bill Anderson these past few years as he’s helped make ITHACON, the nation’s second longest comic convention, better and better. He’s a phenomenal guest and always great with fans and attendees.  Although many comic fans…

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 104: Bobby Drake Needs to Change His Name I badly wanted to write about pop culture this week. I have loads of hot takes on things like Absolute Batman, the newest album from Robbie Williams, my current (always behind the times) obsessions, Only Murders in the Building, and Welcome to Wrexham — and any number of other gripes and japes around all things in the zeitgeist.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 104: Bobby Drake Needs to Change His Name

Brainiac On Banjo: Snow Job Day “Do you really enjoy living a life that’s so hateful? ‘Cause there’s a hole where your soul is should be. You’re losing control a bit, and it’s really distasteful. Fuck you. Fuck you very, very much. ‘Cause we hate what you do and we hate your whole crew.” From Fuck You, written by Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin. All this snow on the ground — it’s still falling, as of this writing — should promote relaxing inactivity.

Brainiac On Banjo: Snow Job Day
All this snow on the ground — it’s still falling, as of this writing — should promote relaxing inactivity... But, given our current realities I’m finding it very hard to maintain focus on entertainment.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 103: Good, Better, Best WARNING: The following article breaks PCS protocol and ventures into scary territory. I’m going to use my column this week to wax poetic on SPORTSBALL. Gird your loins, nerds.  I have just watched my beloved Chicago Bears lose to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. As it’s been all season long, the Bears kept the game spicy down to the last play.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 103: Good, Better, Best

Brainiac On Banjo: Freedom of Sports “Blood on the ice ran down through the years, the king of the goons with a box for a throne. A thousand stitches and broken bones, he never lost a fight on his icy patrol.” From Hit Somebody, written by Warren Zevon and Mitch Albom. I’ve long possessed a go-to line when I want to leave a party or a large dinner filled with people too normal to engage in my pop culture passions.

Brainiac On Banjo: Freedom of Sports
I’ve long possessed a go-to line when I want to leave a party or a large dinner filled with people too normal to engage in my pop culture passions. I tell them I find football to be boring.

With Further Ado #380: The Quest of Scott Brooks I’ve known Scott Brooks for a while, and he’s always over-delivered. He’s a passionate artist with a knack for creatively getting to the crux of it all making it blossom in ways that you wouldn’t expect. But that seem natural and unforced, nonetheless. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I stumbled across his latest project. It turns out he’s made a “fan comic” of one of his favorite characters: …

With Further Ado #380: The Quest of Scott Brooks

Pop Culture SquadCast – Live: Episode #125 With Special Guest Emma Kubert Join Mike and Bob as they chat about current Pop Culture events, and welcome the amazing cartoonist Emma Kubert. We will talk about her career in comics, what she is currently working on, and what she hopes for the future of the medium. Be there. We hope you enjoy the conversation. If you don't catch it live, you can watch later.

Pop Culture SquadCast - Live: Episode #125 With Special Guest Emma Kubert

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #102: Doomed I am writing this article on Sunday, January 11th, 2026 (likely it’ll be posted in a couple days, so, don’t worry. I just like to work a bit ahead, if you will indulge me). In three-hundred forty-one days, Marvel Studios will unleash Avengers: Doomsday. Folks? I’m already sick of hearing about the movie.  A literal year to the day of the release Marvel officially dropped the first of what I will assume is 176,962 teasers for the flick.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #102: Doomed

I am writing this article on Sunday, January 11th, 2026 (likely it’ll be posted in a couple days, so, don’t worry. I just like to work a bit ahead, if you will indulge me). In three-hundred forty-one days, Marvel Studios will unleash Avengers:…