Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
In the mid ‘90s, Marvel cloned Spiderman, DC fridged a girlfriend and Image broke basic anatomy through spandex. Yes, these issues had issues, but not every comic was a splash page of misogyny word bubbled by gimmicks. For a young Sara Century, this same decade offered a glimpse of empowerment through a Generation X cover shot of Emma Frost. But comics weren’t easy for this kid to come by, and the resulting quest both sparked a passion and predicted the plight of a life-long infatuation. So let’s back board that back issue and collect our own thoughts on what Sara has to ‘nuff say about this.
You can follow today’s guest SARA CENTURY on TWITTER @saracentury and on INSTAGRAM @sarcentury. You can also listen to her podcast BITCHES ON COMICS and read selections for her pop culture journalism at www.saracentury.com .
POP NOTES
Prior to the November 1994 publication of their first issue, the core members of Jubilee, Skin, Synch, M and Husk appeared in the multi-title cross-over event THE PHALANX COVENANT.
Team leader Emma Frost was originally introduced as the antagonistic White Queen in UNCANNY X-MEN #129 (1980). Through multiple story arcs she eventually aligned herself with Xavier’s School For Gifted Children where she assumed leadership duties of the this team alongside former X-Man Banshee.
Sixteen years after its 2001 cancellation, a second volume of GENERATION X found Jubilee joining a new team of such mutants as Morph, Kid Omega and Nature Girl. 10 issues into this new run, the series reverted to what would have been its original numbering of issue 85. The series would be cancelled three issues later.
A live-action TV-Movie based on the series aired February 20th 1996 on the Fox network. Intended as the pilot for an ongoing series, it featured a comics-accurate line-up combatting a villain portrayed by Matt Frewer (MAX HEADROOM). Finola Hughes, the actress who portrayed Emma Frost, had perviously performed as a dancer in the 1980 cult musical THE APPLE.
Following the success of X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, Fox Kids had planned an animated adaptation of Generation X in 1999. Perhaps due to the earlier failure of the live action show and dwindling sales of the original comic, the series never materialized.
Tune back next Monday when Molly Baileen (co-host of the CABIN MINUTE CAST) casts more light than you would’ve thought the 1994 Alec Baldwin spectacle THE SHADOW.
This episode of MÉNAGE Á POP was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser. It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service. Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.
MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed Madeline Prior.” All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
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Follow Tim Blevins on TWITTER @subcultist and on INSTAGRAM @subcultist.
Try to understand the present while living in the past with Tim’s weekly podcast 20TH CENTURY POP! at www.nahpods.com/20popcast
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