Pop Culture Safari!

Hot Trax '72: Rolling Stones! Neil Young! Fanny! Carpenters! More!

New songs on the charts 50 years ago this week.

The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice

Neil Young - Old Man

Carpenters - It's Going to Take Some Time

The Allman Brothers Band - Ain't Wastin' Time No More

Grand Funk Railroad - Upsetter

Fanny - Ain't That Peculiar

Engelbert Humperdinck - Too Beautiful to Last

Al Martino - Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from "The Godfather"

Mouth and MacNeal - How Do You Do?

Beverly Bremers - We're Free

Tom Jones - The Young New Mexican Puppeteer

At the Movies '72: "Five Fingers of Death"

Pre-order Now: Marvel Legends Black Panther Action Figures

Click the links to pre-order from Amazon.

Marvel Legends Series Black Panther

Marvel Legends Series Shuri

Marvel Legends Series Marvel’s Nakia

Marvel Legends Series Killmonger

New Music Friday Playlist: Wilco! Ty Segall! Norah Jones!

Picks of the week:

So long, Neal Adams

Very sad news: Pioneering and iconic comics artist Neal Adams, best known for bringing Batman back to his grim and spooky roots in the 1970s, died this week at age 80. We will put together a suitable tribute(s), showcasing his groundbreaking art, soon.

In the meantime, some details from the Hollywood Reporter:

Adams jolted the world of comic books in the late 1960s and early ’70s with his toned and sinewy take on heroes, first at DC with a character named Deadman, then at Marvel with X-Men and The Avengers and then with his most lasting influence, Batman.

During his Batman run, Adams and writer Dennis O’Neil brought a revolutionary change to the hero and the comics, delivering realism, kineticism and a sense of menace to their storytelling in the wake of the campy Adam West-starring ’60s ABC series and years of the hero being aimed at kiddie readers.

...Adams, also with O’Neil, came up with a then-controversial turn for Green Lantern/Green Arrow, tackling social issues such as drug addiction, racism and overpopulation and creating the Green Lantern hero, Jon Stewart, who became one of DC’s first Black icons. Their 1971 two-part story “Snowbirds Don’t Fly” remains a watermark in the evolution to more mature readers.

...Adams also worked tirelessly to promote better working conditions and, radically at the time, creators’ rights, especially for their work. He early on recognized the value of creators and was a thorn in the side of publishers, demanding compensation for himself and others when their characters were adapted off the page.

...He also proved to be a champion of two writer-artists who laid the foundation for DC, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. When he learned of their plight — one inciting factor was hearing that they could not attend a Broadway musical featuring the Man of Steel — he led a lobbying effort that eventually led to greater recognition for the pair, a creator tag in comics and other media that continues to this day, plus a pension.

Ads '72: Honda Coupe

Watch Fanny Perform "Ain't That Peculiar," 1972

New Music Out Today: Pink Floyd, Mingus, Norah Jones and more!

Our choices this week. Click the links to order from Amazon.

Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets (Mono Version)

Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time

Charles Mingus - The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s

Bill Evans - Morning Glory- The 1973 Concert At The Teatro Gran Rex

Bill Evans - Inner Spirit- The 1979 Concert At The Teatro General San Martín

Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (20th Anniversary)[Super Deluxe 3]

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)

Boom! Italian Jazz Soundtracks At Their Finest (1959-1969)

Watch Little Jimmy Osmond perform "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool," 1972

Pop Culture Roundup: Barbie! Batman! Totoro! More!

ITEM! The first official image of Margot Robbie from the live-action Barbie film has been released.

ITEM! A stage production of "My Neighbor, Totoro"is planned by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

ITEM! Shocker: Robert Pattison will be back in a sequel to "The Batman."

ITEM! Wonder Woman reportedly has a cameo in the upcoming "Shazam!" sequel.

ITEM! German electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze died this week at age 74.

Ads '72: Harley Outperformers

Pre-order Now: Marvel Legends "Thor: Love and Thunder" Action Figures!

Click the links to pre-order from Amazon.

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Mighty Thor

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Thor

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Ravager Thor

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Star-Lord

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder King Valkyrie

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Gorr

Marvel Legends Series Thor: Love and Thunder Groot

Marvel Legends Series Mighty Thor Mjolnir Electronic Hammer

New Comics Collected Editions - April 27: Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus! Marvel Infinity Saga Poster Book!

Out today. Click the links to order from Amazon.

The Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 7

Savage Sword enters an exciting new era with the first appearance of one of Conan’s deadliest super-villain adversaries, Wrarrl, better known as the Devourer of Souls! He earned that title by consuming the life force of anyone standing in his way—but he never met a foe as ardent as Conan! Their iconic battle is the first of several engagements between the two in Marvel Conan lore. And returning to menace Conan is another of his legendary rogues gallery, Captain Bor’aqh Sharaq, believed to be dead but hunting Conan on a quest for vengeance! This Omnibus edition is packed with Conan classics, with stories by Michael Fleisher, Christopher Priest and art by all-time Conan great John Buscema!

COLLECTING: Savage Sword of Conan (1974) 88-101

Marvel's The Infinity Saga Poster Book Phase 3

You’re gonna need a bigger house! And make sure it has plenty of wall space — because the Marvel Cinematic Universe poster collection has entered Phase Three, and your gallery of masterpieces is about to expand! It starts with a Civil War that splits the Avengers — and only gets more explosive from there, culminating in Thanos unleashing his full might in a universe-shattering Infinity War…and leading to the Avengers’ desperate Endgame! New stars Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, the Wasp and more join all your favorite established heroes on incredible, frameable works of art that have each cemented their place in Hollywood history! Relive the big-screen blockbusters of the MCU’s Phase Three, and make yours Marvel movie masterpieces!