Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
Rick Brooks wanted to bring home the excitement of Wrestle-mania, possibly as an adult podcaster but definitely as a child in the 1980s. The costumes. The hairstyles. Some of the actual moves. It was all more spectacle than one TV could hold. Thankfully there were fanzines and today, he shares the spin rack importance of reading each and every article in each and every issue of PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED.
Rick Brooks is co-host of BATTLE OF THE NETWORK SHOWS, a weekly podcast that explores TV through the 70s and 80s. Its newest season begins this Thursday, September 24th and can be heard on APPLE PODCASTS, STITCHER and the homepage of www.battleofthenetworkshows.com.
POP NOTES
PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED published its first issue with a cover date of September 1979. It is currently the longest running, continuously published English language wrestling magazine in the world.
The magazine is published by the Kappa Publishing Group, which was first founded in 1955. Other publications currently include GAMES MAGAZINE, HOROSCOPE GUIDE and a wide array of ADULT COLORING BOOKS.
The publication is considered an “Apter Mag” named after one of wrestling’s foremost journalists, Bill Apter. The designation is in reference to his treatment of wrestling as actual events and not scripted theatrics.
Bill Apter was also a close friend of comedian Andy Kaufman, encouraging and assisting in the many wrestling stunts of his later career.
Since 1991, PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED has annually compiled and published its Top 500 Wrestlers In The World List. Number One place holders have included Brett Hart (1993 & 1994) Shawn Michaels (1996), CM Punk (2012) and, most recently, Jon Moxley (2020).
The magazine’s most popular journalist, Matt Brock, is actually a fictional composite of numerous writers throughout the years. Portrayed with a hard-drinking, gonzo personality, he was long displayed bthrough a head shot of Karl Hlavache, an employee of New York based company, London Press..
Tune back on Friday when RICK BROOKS takes us behind the velvet ropes of THE SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION OF NEWSPAPER STRIPS.
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 by The Madeline Prior. All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
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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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