The PopCulteer
December 27, 2024

Despite not being the best of years due to many friends exiting this world, a few beloved institutions ending, and some personal struggles with illness, the PopCult household managed to have a wonderful Christmas.  We heard from friends around the world, visited with family and got each other tons of cool stuff.

And today we’re going to share some of that cool stuff with you.

To be clear, I’m only sharing photos. You can’t actually have our stuff. I mean, we just got it. That would really suck for us, you know.

But since folks do ask, set amongst the backdrop of our Disco Christmas Tree, here’s what Mel and I got each other for Christmas in no particular order.  It’s not everything, but you shouldn’t be so freaking nosey during the holidays, so here’s what you can see…

In case you didn’t know…I collect toys. The HESS Truck has been a tradition for us for over ten years now. And the Super Powers figures, which just turned up locally a week ago, were in my stocking.

One of my big gifts from Mel was the Super Deluxe Reissue Boxed Set of George Harrison’s “Living In The Material World” Can’t wait to dig into this.

Mel also got me some Max Fleischer goodies, some DVDs and a button-up shirt with designs from “Swing You Sinners.”

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a Monster Kid. Direct from their appearances in The 2024 PopCult Gift Guide, here’s the Lincoln Monsters repros, and the Cotswold Collectibles 12″ Wolfman. I love these guys.

A MINI UNBOXING

Because I was too lazy to do a video, here’s a photo essay unboxing of another of my big gifts, The Svengoolie 45th Anniversary Collector’s Box…

Also from The Gift Guide, it’s the cool Svengoolie Collector’s box. Let’s look at it and see what’s inside.

First we go around the full-color collector’s box. Here we see the Sven Squad. The actual box is in focus. This picture, not so much.

This side has The Goolie Bunch.

And here is Svengoolie himself, recreating the cover of “Trout Mask Replica.”

Wonders await us inside…

A limited edition set of figures, plus an enamal pin, a compact and portable rubber chicken and a pen that you can pretend you stole from Svengoole’s Bank (“I have a bank?”)

A cool travel mug with a straw and a Top Hat straw topper!

Socks, a Mark Spears collectible card and an air freshener, so you can smell like Svengoolie. Or you could just wear the socks for a month.

And the kicker (along with a cool cloth patch), a new pressing of “The Svengoolie Stomp” by Freddie “Boom Boom” Cannon.

Mel’s Haul

You know, this is not just a one-way thing. I also get Mel lots of cool stuff for Christmas…

Chicago-centric gifts included the new McFarlane Blues Brothers statuettes and the Chicago Shuffle card game (and booster pack) from Transit Tees.

There’s a lot to take in here: Ultimate action figures of Patrick Star and Squidward; weird Asian SpongeBob trading cards; plush Sinclair Dino and TRU Geoffry; plus a bunch of candy from her stockings.

An autographed copy of Frank Conniff’s new book, along with some strange SpongeBob candy.

I always get Mel a “Big Box” of something each year, and this year it was a big box of The Police (with Police Squad thrown in just as a bit of misdirection). The biggest part of this was the deluxe 4 LP reissue of “Synchronicity” but Mel already moved that (and the colored vinyl reissues of Thompson Twins and Thomas Dolby LPs) to where our vinyl lives, and I was too lazy to go photograph them. Also, a full box of Lights of Broadway trading cards is on top of this stack.

And that’s a look at our Christmas gifts to each other. We do have one more gift for you…actually from a friend in the UK.  It’s time for new radio…

Look Ahead To Looking Back Forty Years

We do have some radio shows to tell you about Friday on The AIR. This afternoon we serve up a classic episode of MIRRORBALL and a brand-new episode of Sydney’s Big Electric Cat! The AIR is PopCult‘s sister radio station. You can hear these shows on The AIR website, or just click on the embedded player found elsewhere on this page.

MIRRORBALL

Friday at 2 PM on The AIR, Mel Larch brings you a classic Disco tribute as MIRRORBALL pays tribute to Donna Summer for the second time.

You can hear MIRRORBALL every Friday at 2 PM, with replays Sunday night at 11 PM and throughout the following week Monday at 9 AM and Tuesday at 1 PM plus there’s a mini-marathon that includes the latest episode Saturday nights at 9 PM

Sydney’s Big Electric Cat Visits 1985

Also on The AIR  at 3 PM (EDT), Sydney Fileen graces us with a brand-new special mixtape-style  episode of Sydney’s Big Electric Cat. This time Sydney looks ahead five days to when we can look back forty years at the year, 1985.

1985 is considered a “past its peak” year for New Wave Music. MTV was starting to replace New Wave with Hair Metal and Mainstream Pop, and was also beginning to dabble in the episodic long-form programming that would eventually run the “Music” out of “Music Television.”  Despite this, New Wave was still going strong with iconic hits by Kate Bush, A ha, Thompson Twins and more, as well as innovative new musical groups that would never get the chance to break into the mainstream.

In this episode of Big Electric Cat, Sydney Fileen lets you immerse yourself in the cutting edge music of just about forty years ago.  It’s a pretty wild ride.

Check out the playlist…

BEC 123-1985

Kate Bush “The Big Sky (Meteorological Mix)”
The Smiths “Barbarism Begins At Home”
Men Without Hats “Modern(e) Dancing”
INXS “What You Need”
Big Audio Dynamite “Sudden Impact”
Wall of Voodoo “Big City”
Toyah “I’ll Serve You Well”
Winston Tong “Big Brother”
Models “Preacher From The Black Lagoon”
Go West “S.O.S.”
The Clash “This Is England”
Jane Wiedlin “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
Gleaming Spires “Harm”
Age of Mirrors “Juliet’s Dancing”
Adam Ant “Vive le Rock”
Baltimora “Tarzan Boy”
A Flock of Seagulls “Who’s That Girl (She’s Got It)”
Howard Jones “Things Can Only Get Better”
A Ha “Take On Me”
Thompson Twins “Emperor’s Clothes”
Tears For Fears “Head Over Heels”
The Toy Dolls “Commercial Break”
Eurythmics “Would I Lie To You”
Dead or Alive “You spin me round (Like a record)”
The Coupe De Villes “She Has Friends In LA”
New Order “Love Vigilantes”

Sydney’s Big Electric Cat is produced at Haversham Recording Institute in London, and can be heard every Friday at 3 PM, with replays Saturday afternoon,  Monday at 7 AM, Tuesday at 8 PM, Wednesday at Noon and Thursday at 10 AM, exclusively on The AIR.

A special AIR Note: Some folks have contacted me to let me know that there were technical issues with this week’s new episode of Radio Free Charleston.  Because of that, we’re running a bonus replay Friday at 5 PM, immediately after Sydney’s Big Electric Cat.  You can also hear RFC at its usual replay times, Saturday at Noon and Midnight, Sunday at 8 PM, and Monday at 11 AM.

That’s what’s on The AIR Friday, and that is this week’s PopCulteer.

Check PopCult for all our regular features, with fresh content every day, even during the holiday season.