Moondog's Pop Culture Radio Hour

Episode 15 - December 18, 1993: Marty Nodell

Episode 15 from December 18, 1993 - our Green Lantern show starring my dear friend Marty Nodell - the creator of Green Lantern back in 1940.  Listen to a full 10 minute interview with Marty as he recounts the moment he came up with the character and the name.  Don't miss this show!

Episode 13 - December 4, 1993: STAN LEE!!!

Face Front True Believer! This is the BIG one - a 25-minute interview with the MAN himself: Stan Lee! Listen as he talks about his career and the projects he was working on 30 years ago.  If you listen closely you can hear the seeds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe germinating in the fertile mind of the most influential person in the history of comics!

Episode 14 - December 11, 1993: Moondog's favorite episode ever! Tiny Tim & Del Close

Episode 14 - December 11 1993 Moondog's favorite episode ever! In the studio - Tiny Tim, the falsetto-singing ukulele-playing musician of Tiptoe Through the Tulips! In the studio - Del Close, comedian, writer, actor, director, playwright, teacher, guru, beatnik, hippie and bon vivant! In the studio - Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti!  One of top creative teams of the 1990s doing their P&Q Report LIVE!

Episode 12 - November 27, 1993: Elinor Donahue & Ann B. Davis

Pop Culture TV icons, Elinor Donahue and Ann B. Davis recall their signature rolls on Father Knows Best and the Brady Bunch in this incredible show from November 27, 1993.

Episode 11 - November 20, 1993: Star Trek's Michael Dorn, Walter Koenig, & Suzie Plakson

Listen to behind-the-scenes insights on what it was like to play the iconic characters, Worf and Chekov as Howard interviews Michael Dorn and Walter Koenig during our All Star Trek Show!

Episode 10 - November 13, 1993: Alex Ross & Bill Mumy

EPISODE 10 November 13, 1993. Danger!  Danger, Will Robinson!  Listen to Bill Mumy discuss his career in TV (Space Family Robinson) and how much he enjoys comics. Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill discuss what it's like to be two creators from England barnstorming US comic book shops promoting their new comic - Marshall Law! Joe and Jimmy, in their P&Q Report lament the fact that Valiant left off the credits to Ninjak #1! And Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek discuss the creation of MARVELS!  This boo...

Moondog's Comicland Christmas Commercial

Moondog's Comicland Christmas Commercial

Episode 9 - November 6, 1993: Neil Gaiman & Steve Allen

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Moondog's Pop Culture Radio Hour from November 6, 1993. Howard leads off with a live interview of legendary entertainer, Steve Allen.  Steve talks about his career and his connections to Clark Kent and Superman! There's a short but sweet pre-recorded interview with RoboCop actress, Nancy Allen. A quick P&Q report from Miami and then the real meat and potatoes - an interview with Neil Gaiman conducted when he was still doing the monthly Sandman book.  Neil talks...

Episode 8 - October 30, 1993

Episode 8 of the Moondog’s Pop Culture Radio Hour from October 30, 1993 is on the air! This was a special show in that host Howard Johnson was in Las Vegas getting married to his lovely bride, Laurie Bradach.  So it was just Larry Marder and me talking about what was happening behind the scenes in the comics industry. In other words the first comic-book podcast ever recorded. Besides being the creator of Tales of the Beanworld, Larry Marder was the "Nexus of All Comic Book Realities" in t...

Episode 7 - October 23, 1993: Mark Hamill & Jill Thompson

This was one of our most famous shows as we featured an incredible interview with Mark Hamill!  Mark recounts his first impressions of Star Wars and what he thought it might become.  He also goes into how he became the voice of the Joker on Batman Animated Adventures. In the studio was Chicago legend artist Jill Thompson.  Jill talks about her career and working with Neil Gaiman on Sandman.  This was prior to Jill’s breakout hit, Scary Godmother and listening to her again after all these ye...

Bonus: Moondog's Kuppenheimer Commercial

As the president of Classics International Entertainment, the public company that bought Moondog's with the intention of expanding it across the country, I regularly wore a suit to the office. I know.  Crazy, right? One day I'm driving in to the office and I hear a commercial for Kuppenheimer Men's Clothing shops.  It's some executive for a big company and he's explaining why he wears Kuppenheimer suits. Heck!  I was wearing a Kuppenheimer suit! So when I get in the office I call our PR ...

Bonus: Moondog's Kuppenheimer Commercial

As the president of Classics International Entertainment, the public company that bought Moondog's with the intention of expanding it across the country, I regularly wore a suit to the office. I know.  Crazy, right? One day I'm driving in to the office and I hear a commercial for Kuppenheimer Men's Clothing shops.  It's some executive for a big company and he's explaining why he wears Kuppenheimer suits. Heck!  I was wearing a Kuppenheimer suit! So when I get in the office I call our PR ...

Episode 6 - October 16, 1993: F- Troop's Larry Storch & Ken Berry + Skip Williamson

This episode from October 16, 1993 is our F-Troop reunion show with Larry Storch and Ken Berry!  F-Troop was one of the funniest TV shows ever made, and Larry and Ken talk about how much fun they had on the set. Also, Howard and Larry conduct a classic interview with Chicago underground comix legend, Skip Williamson.  Skip was the real deal when it came to pushing the boundaries of the comix art form.    

Episode 6 - October 16, 1993: F- Troop's Larry Storch & Ken Berry + Skip Williamson

This episode from October 16, 1993 is our F-Troop reunion show with Larry Storch and Ken Berry!  F-Troop was one of the funniest TV shows ever made, and Larry and Ken talk about how much fun they had on the set. Also, Howard and Larry conduct a classic interview with Chicago underground comix legend, Skip Williamson.  Skip was the real deal when it came to pushing the boundaries of the comix art form.    

Episode 5 - October 9, 1993: Walt Willey & Brinke Stevens

Episode 5 of the Moondog’s Pop Culture Radio Hour from October 9, 1993 featured All My Children’s Walt Willey in the studio with host Howard Johnson. Walt and Howard were pals since grade school and the two guys were very comfortable working together. Walt was quite funny and you can tell he enjoyed himself. Joining Howard and Walt was scream queen extraordinaire Brinke Stevens. Brinke was in town headlining Fangoria’s Weekend of Horror convention. Gary and Larry were in Philadelphia for t...

Episode 4 - October 2, 1993: Superman Saturday

It was our first “Theme” show and we called it Superman Saturday! First we interview Death of Superman artist, Dan Jurgens, and then current Superman editor, Mike Carlin.  We follow that up by bringing Vincent Sullivan – the very first Superman editor in 1938 – on the show.  Unbelievably, the first time Carlin and Sullivan ever met was on our show!  Some great, historic radio!  We then close the show with the 3 Jimmys – that’s right – Jack Larson (George Reeves’ Jimmy Olsen), Mark McClure ...

Episode 3 - September 25, 1993: Mr. T & Jim Valentino

Hold on tight to your phone when you listen to Episode 3 of the Moondog's Pop Culture Radio Hour! First up is an historic in-studio interview with Image Comics founder, Jim Valentino, who fills us in on all of his ShadowHawk projects of the time. Also in-studio, with one of the most over-the-top interviews ever conducted on live radio, Mr. T himself!  And wait until you hear Joe and Jimmy attempting to get a word in when Mr. T and the boys face off - it's a  must hear show!

Episode 2 - September 18, 1993: Peter David & Mitch O'Connell

September 18, 1993.  The Peter David vs.Todd McFarlane debate was the big news back in the fall of 1993. Hear all about it from Peter David himself!  Local artist Mitch O'Connell stops in the studio for a live segment.

Episode 1 - September 11, 1993

Our first show!  Guests include Jimmy Palmiotti, Joe Quesada, Dave Sim, Jim Valentino, Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane and Alex Hyde White of the Fantastic Four movie! We were just getting our feet wet with the show, but you can feel the excitement of doing live radio in our voices!

Trailer for Moondog's Pop Culture Radio Hour

Before Podcasts, Spotify & YouTube, there was LIVE Radio!   Back in the early-90s I was convinced that the mainstream public was ready to embrace comic books and all the cool stuff that went with them.  So I created a new concept in comic book shops - the Pop Culture Store. Besides selling the pop culture concept through my shops, I wanted to promote it to the world.  So before there were podcasts or social media - there was old-fashioned over-the-air radio, and that's the platform I used t...