Some Pulp

In this final episode with Bruce, we discuss the rise of the paperback, the heyday of 20th century publishing, science fiction’s origins in magazines, and the meaning of books and reading. Also, some good old fashioned speculation on the future of reading and literacy: Why haven’t ebooks overtaken physical books in popularity? How is social media affecting literacy? And are writers being reduced to simple soundbites and Good Reads quote pages and bad graphic design posters?

What were presidental and congressional elections like in the pre-internet era? What were the clichés and labels of political discussions of the time? This and much more discussed as we examine politics in the mid-20th century.

Many of us in the Midwest grow up with California dreams. So this podcast is about what this dreaming consists of, where it comes from, and how it is or is not achieved. Some people do make this dream come true. Some people make it to Denver or Alaska, but two of the four of us, Matt and Justin, made it all the way to San Diego and L. A., with some detours.

Why did millions of Americans flock to NBC on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1964 and remain rapt viewers until Batman destroyed their showrunning savoir faire? What do writers like Ian Fleming, Stan Lee, and John Le Carre, have in Common? How did organizations like MI6, CIA, KGB, U.N.C.L.E., THRUSH and SPECTRE become commonplace lingo with the moviegoing public?

Computers in the 50s and 60s were glorified calculators, existing as giant mainframes in large rooms, before the personal computer revolutions of the 70s and 80s. See how these dramatic changes affected the lives of normal citizens through the lens of an english professor at a university who brought computers to the classroom in the early 80s and sent his first email in 1983, travelled to Africa with a laptop in the 90s, and still plays with the latest gadgets to this day.

What is schooling in a democratic society? Focus on the schooling this Akron boy received in the 1960s, from grade school to junior and senior high and the differences and similarities between now and then--through the eyes of a boy, dad, now a grandpa.

Bruce reflects on his experiences of the day Kennedy died, and what occurred in the heart of the nation and the news media as remembered through the eyes of a young boy growing up in Akron, Ohio. Justin Edwards co-hosts this week and they get into what the assassination meant for America, and how our “Camelot” was never the same.

Disney played a prominent role in establishing animation as a mainstream medium for children and adults, but lesser examined might be their impact on American culture through television, live action film, and Walt Disney’s obsession with creating a total experience such as Disneyland.

TV played a surprisingly subversive role in diversifying musical genres and introducing some American pop and folk groups and Motown R&B stars that people otherwise may not have heard. We review shows such as Hootenanny, Shindig and Hullabaloo from the 60s, and examine how they broke the hold of AM radio formats and advertisers on programming.

Sputnik was a 58 cm (23 in) diameter polished metal sphere, with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses. It was visible all around the Earth and its radio pulses were detectable. A surprise launch. As was its success. Learn how the launch of Sputnik affected American culture, arts and politics.

What was it like discovering comic books in the 1950s and 60s? Learn why Bruce favored DC Comics over pre-rebirth Marvel, his fascination with superhero origin stories, and what the first superhero tv shows were like. Finally, learn the fate of Bruce's sizeable collection of Golden and Silver Age comics.

In cinema, robots have been our friends, our helpers, or our enemies and destroyers. This episode is a deep dive into how robots have been depicted in tv and film, including such classics as The Day The Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, and Kronos, to the Jetsons, Twilight Zone, and eventually George Lucas' Star Wars.

Tracing its roots in German Expressionism and other sources, we examine the development of Noir as a genre in American cinema, including the careers of Roy Huggins and David Janssen, television shows like The Fugitive and Richard Diamond, Private Detective, and the expansion and lasting impact of noir today, including films such as Blade Runner, Dark City and the work of the Coen Brothers.

How did baseball come to be America's national pastime? Also, a deep look at how and why radio dominated professional sports in the mid-century, and why baseball is still the sport of the future.

An examination of the genesis of 'talk shows' in the 1950s and 60s and how they have evolved into the panoply of shows airing virtually round the clock.

1950’s Narnia-fantasist C. S. Lewis distrusted film’s ability to render a story well, convinced it short-circuited the imagination. Here’s why--and what may have changed his mind if he’d lived a little longer.

A discussion of the revolution in music delivery and listener access in the transition from the 50s to the 60s.

An analysis of three iconic TV westerns from the 1960s (Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Maverick) and the demise of their genre.

In this first issue we look at the phenomenon of a half-hour TV drama program that debuted in 1959 on the CBS television network, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Special guests Justin & Michael Edwards join the conversation.