Pop Culture Roundup: 'The Celestial Toymaker,' "My Adventures with Superman,' 'Last Air Bender'

ITEM! The team restoring the "lost" "Doctor Who" adventure "The Celestial Toymaker" is defending its experimental animation approach.

ITEM! Netflix has renewed the live-action version of "The Last Air Bender" series for two more seasons.

ITEM! DC is launching a comic book tie-in to the "My Adventures with Superman" animated series.

Pop Culture Roundup: Bond, Superman, Lou Reed, 'Hacks'

ITEM! 007's "Goldfinger" car and other cool vehicles from the James Bond films are going on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. 

ITEM! Laurie Anderson created an AI chatbot of Lou Reed. 

ITEM! Speaking of which, a Lou Reed tribute album out in April features songs performed by Keith Richards, Angel Olsen, Afghan Whigs and more. See Keef perform "I'm Waiting for the Man" here.

ITEM! Season 3 of HBO Max's wonderful comedy "Hacks" debuts May 3.

ITEM! Wendell Pierce ("The Wire") will star as Perry White in the new Superman film.

Pop Culture Roundup: Sea Devils, Frankenstein, 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' More

ITEM! Remembering the Sea Devils' debut on "Doctor Who."

ITEM! Frankenstein is next up in the Universal Monsters series of comic book adaptations.

ITEM! "The Crown" star Emma Corrin will appear in "Deadpool & Wolverine" as Cassandra Nova, the evil twin sister of X-Men leader Professor Charles Xavier.

ITEM! A new Dick Tracy comics series is coming soon.

Sad News: Comedian Richard Lewis, known for his great appearances on Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is dead at age 76. 

Pop Culture Roundup: Flash Gordon Redux, Eugene Levy Joins 'Only Murders' Cast, Hendrix and Elvis on the Moon

ITEM! A whole mess of new and classic Flash Gordon comics and comic strip collections are on the way. 

ITEM! Eugene Levy is joining the cast for season 4 of "Only Murders in the Building."

ITEM! Music by Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, the Who and more has been placed on the moon in an “arts-centric time capsule” by the Odysseus lunar lander.

Pop Culture Roundup: Ramona Fradon, Fantastic Four, 'All Creatures Great and Small'

Sad News: Comics veteran Ramona Fradon is dead at age 97. She was best known for work on DC's Aquaman and as the co-creator of Metamorpho the Element Man. Comics historian Mark Evanier shares a couple/few stories about Fradon here.

ITEM! The new Fantastic Four cast has a group chat.

ITEM! The delightfully cozy "All Creatures Great and Small" has been renewed for two more seasons.

Pop Culture Roundup: DC Finest, Uncle Scrooge, Noel Fielding, Anansi Boys, More

ITEM! The Comics Journal pays tribute to the late Italian cartoonist Alfredo Castelli. 

ITEM! British comic Noel Fielding (we Yanks know him from "The Great British Baking Show") says his new series, "Dick Turpin" is a return to "Python-style British comedy."

ITEM! Both TV and comic book adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s "Anansi Boys" are on the way.

ITEM! Uncle Scrooge is entering the multiverse - in a Marvel comic!

ITEM! Oh oh, said my pocketbook: DC Comics is creating its own version of Marvel's Epic reprint line, DC Finest.

Pop Culture Roundup: SNL, Alberto Breccia, "Fargo" Biquick, More

ITEM! Check out the stunning Western art of comics master Alberto Breccia.

ITEM! The lineups for the next three eps of SNL is:

• Feb. 24 - Shane Gillis / 21 Savage
• March 2 - Sydney Sweeney / Kacey Musgraves
• March 9 - Josh Brolin / Ariana Grande

ITEM! You can get "Fargo" Bisquick now.

ITEM! As reported yesterday on our sister blog, biopics of all four Beatles are in the works.

Pop Culture Roundup: Fantastic Four, Space Ghost, Bronze-Age Superman, More

ITEM! Will Marvel's "Fantastic Four" film be set in the Sixties? I kinda hope so.

ITEM! "Trivial Pursuit" and "Scrabble" game shows are coming to the CW.

ITEM! A new Space Ghost comics series is on the way this spring.

ITEM! The Robots From Tomorrow podcast examines the greatest Bronze-Age Superman stories.

Sad News: British comics artist Paul Neary, known for his work on Captain Britain and Captain America, is dead at age 74. 

Pop Culture Roundup: Fantastic Four Cast Announced, Doctor Who Scripts Online, Crisis on Infinite Earths Redux

ITEM! It's official, the cast for Marvel's Fantastic Four will include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The FF are my favorite Marvel characters. Don't f--- this up!

ITEM! More than 200 "Doctor Who" scripts have been added to the BBC Script Library, which I didn't know existed. 

ITEM! DC Comics will reissue its 1984-85 Crisis on Infinite Earths (a.k.a. the "event" that wrecked DC Comics) series as monthly facsimile editions.

Pop Culture Roundup: Jimi Hendrix Comic, Brian Wilson Country Album, DC/Marvel Crossover Collections, More

ITEM! Preview a new Jimi Hendrix graphic novel (art by veteran comics ace Tom Mandrake). 

ITEM! DC and Marvel are collecting their various crossover comics in omnibus editions set for release this summer.

ITEM! Dracula is returning to the Marvel Comics Universe.

ITEM! Brian Wilson is set to finally release a country album he produced in the 1970s featuring the Beach Boys manager Fred Vail on vocals.

ITEM! Finally, here's Rick Astley singing a cover of Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License."

Pop Culture Roundup: Super Bowl, Godzilla, Disneyland, More

ITEM! Check out these cool Super Bowl program covers. Taylor is on this year's cover. Viva Le Swiftspiracy!

ITEM! A comics anthology celebrating the 70th anniversary of Godzilla is on the way.

ITEM! The many weather vanes of Disneyland.

ITEM! A look back at UK's Misty, a horror comic anthology aimed at girls.

ITEM! New details on the next "Game of Thrones" TV spin-off.

Sad News:

• Italian comics artist Alfredo Castelli is dead at age 76. 
• Damo Suzuki, lead singer of Can, is dead at age 74.

Pop Culture Roundup: Weird-Ohs, Captain America, Wood Woodpecker, More

ITEM! Check out these Weird-Ohs. 

ITEM! Remembering the 1940 Captain America movie serial. 

ITEM! A new Woody Woodpecker movie is on the way.

ITEM! A peek inside the late Maurice Sendak's memorabilia-packed art studio.

ITEM! A reflection on pioneering Black crime novelist Chester Himes.

Pop Culture Roundup: 'Fawlty Towners' On Stage, Beach Boys 'Love You,' Carl Weathers RIP

ITEM! A stage production of "Fawlty Towers" is launching in London.

ITEM! Here's a great little documentary about the Beach Boys' controversial/wonderful Love You LP. 

Sad News: Actor Carl Weathers, best-known as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films and his appearances on "Arrested Development" and "The Mandalorian" is dead at age 76.

Pop Culture Roundup: Monster Stamps, Talking Heads, 'Suits,' More

ITEM! Monster stamps!

ITEM! Talking Heads reportedly turned down offers to reunite for a couple of big music fests.

ITEM! Views of Gotham City: "Batman: The Animated Series"-style.

ITEM! "Suits," which many people just realized existed, has spawned a spin-off series. 

Pop Culture Roundup: SNL Biodoc Cast, Big Screen Supergirl Named, Melinda Wilson Passes

ITEM! Milly Alcock ("House of Dragons") is the new big screen Supergirl.

ITEM! A bio-doc on the early days of SNL has cast its Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players. 

Sad News: Brian Wilson's wife Melinda, who helped the Beach Boys genius ignite his solo career, is dead at age 77.

Pop Culture Roundup: Gray Morrow, Monkees, Buffy and More

ITEM! Take a gander at this fine comic art portfolio by the great Gray Morrow.

ITEM! Rembering the stories of comics  scribe Steve Skeates.

ITEM! Psychobabble ranks the Monkees' songs.

ITEM! What's up with a Buffy the Vampire revival and how is Dolly Parton(!) involved?

Pop Culture Roundup: Flash Mob, Alex Raymond, Famous Monsters, More

ITEM! Remembering when the Flash met the Flash.

ITEM! Speaking of Flash... meet Alex Raymond, illustrator.

ITEM! Famous Monsters mag is back from the dead, but it's spendy.

ITEM! British cartoonist Posy Simmonds has been awarded the prestigious Grand Prix at the International Comics festival in Angoulême France.

Pop Culture Roundup: Wally Wood, Jon Stewart, Melanie

ITEM! Some great Wally Wood sci-fi art from Galaxy mag. 

ITEM! Jon Stewart is returning to "The Daily Show" on Monday nights during the 2024 election campaing.

Sad News: Singer Melanie, who performed at Woodstock and had a big hit with “Brand New Key,” at 76.

Pop Culture Roundup: Spidey Cartoons, Bakshi's Mighty Heroes, Sky Masters of the Space Force, More

ITEM! Rip takes a look at the first season of the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon.

ITEM! Also from Rip: Remembering Ralph Bakshi's Mighty Heroes.

ITEM! Check out this cool 1940s design manual - from the Girl Scouts!

ITEM! The Jack Kirby Museum is promoting a new collected edition of the King's Sky Masters of the Space Force Sunday comic strips. (I have the first edition of these and highly recommend folks jumping on this reprint.)

ITEM! Actress Anne Hathaway walked out of a magazine photoshoot in solidarity with striking Condé Nast employees.

New Pop Culture Books: Rebel Moon, Pete Townshend's Life House, John Byrne X-Men Artist's Edition, More

Our picks this month. Click the links to order from Amazon (and help support Pop Culture Safari!) 

Rebel Moon Part One - A Child Of Fire: The Official Novelization

From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making.

When a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors—outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a new army of heroes is formed.

Novelized by V. Castro, two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author. Experience Rebel Moon on the page in this pulse-pounding novelization.

Life House (graphic novel) by Pete Townshend

An original graphic novel based on rock music legend Pete Townshend's 1970 screenplay of the same name, which inspired The Who’s 1971 globally bestselling and universally beloved album, Who’s Next.

Set in a Dystopian future where music has been outlawed, Lifehouse follows a small band of rebels who stage an underground concert in an effort to undermine a tyrannical leader... and free Britain and all of humanity.

This graphic novelization is co-written by Doom Patrol's James Harvey and Spider-Man Noir's David Hine with art by both Harvey and Australian visual artist Max Prentis, lettering by Michah Myers, and inks by Eisner Award winning artist Mick Gray. It is edited by former Managing Editor of Heavy Metal Magazine, Hannah Means-Shannon, and features a massive Vinyl LP format (12.25" x 12.25"). This is a must-have for any serious music collectors, rock fans, and pop culture aficionados!

Originally envisioned as a sci-fi rock epic to follow-up The Who's chart-topping song, “Tommy,” and put aside 50 years ago—in favor of Who’s Next songs like “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Behind Blue Eyes”—Life House will finally take center stage.

John Byrne's X-Men Artist's Edition

With stories like “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days of Future Past!” John Byrne’s work on X-Men became one of the most influential and popular comics of the 1970s. Included in this stellar Artist’s Edition are pages from John Byrne’s classic run and an amazing number of covers!

An Artist’s Edition publishes scans of original art at a high resolution and prints it at the same size it was drawn. While appearing to be in black and white, these images were scanned in color, allowing the viewer the best possible look at the artist’s intentions. You are able to see blue pencil notations, corrections, margin notes, and all the little nuances that make original art so unique and special. The only better way to view comic art is if you were standing over the artist’s shoulder as they were laboring at their drawing table.

Barbie: The Screenplay

For the first time, the BARBIE screenplay is now available in print. Anarchically hilarious and unexpectedly emotional, BARBIE is a magical cinematic confection of absurdity, heart, and Technicolor musicals. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have created a deeply personal and idiosyncratic film from the icon that is the Barbie doll. The movie celebrates the perfection of imperfection, and affirms that everyone, even Allan, is Kenough.

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse The Official Movie Special Book

This deluxe book explores the all-new movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Go behind-the-scenes with the makers of the movie in this lavish volume that features amazing artwork and photography from the visually stunning new film.

Peter Gabriel: The Rhythm Has My Soul. The Stories Behind the Songs

With a solo career spanning 46 years, 10 studio albums, 4 soundtracks and a catalogue of around 200 songs, Peter Gabriel is still one of the most multifaceted, groundbreaking and original artists inhabiting the rock and pop world. 

“The Stories Behind the Songs” traces Gabriel’s unique output from 1977 to 2023 in the form of a song-by-song analysis, including all his released material - singles, album tracks, covers - and unreleased tracks that have surfaced from live performances and elsewhere. 

Each of them provides full credits, technical and musical details about the recordings and “behind the scenes” stories told by the people involved (musicians, producers, engineers and Gabriel himself). Drawing on source material, vintage interviews and exclusive conversations specially conducted by the authors for this project, this reference book paints a full portrait of a musical craftsman whose watchword has always been and still is “go ahead.”

John Romita's Amazing Spider-Man: The Daily Strips Artist's Edition

Spider-Man is one the most popular characters in the history of comics. This Artist’s Edition collects high-resolution scans of the very earliest Amazing Spider-Man daily strips by the two creators most associated with the Web-Slinger, Stan “The Man” Lee and “Jaunty” John Romita!

Approximately 300 (original daily strips have been scanned, all from 1977 and 1978. The strip debuted on January 3, 1977, and the entire first two months of the strip are included in this volume. Spider-Man’s origin is recapped and it’s a Who’s Who of all your favorite Spidey characters.

An Artist’s Edition is a book that reproduces classic comic book art from the actual hand-drawn originals. Each page is meticulously scanned at high resolution and reproduced at the same size they were drawn. And while each page appears to be in black and white, these pages have been scanned in color to enable the reader to truly see them as created by John Romita. All the subtle nuances that make original art unique are clearly visible in these pages: gradients in the line art, blue pencils under the inks, corrections. The only better way to view this art would have been to be standing over John Romita’s drawing board as he was creating them!