TwoMorrows Opens Time Warp to Pop Culture Past

TwoMorrows has carved a niche industry out of mining the past. And not just wistful retrospectives, but deep-dives into the history of cartoons, comic books, and superheroes, unearthing tidbits of pop culture archeology unknown by most fans today.

This week marks the debut of another magazine to the publishing house's stable: RETRO FAN magazine features none other than television's Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, who gives the company an exclusive interview. But that's not the only television interview found here, and it's not all superhero related. Publisher Michael Eury takes the trip to Mount Airy, North Carolina, the town that served as the model for Mayberry, and takes the readers along for the ride as he visits Floyd's City Barber Shop and the TV Land bronze statue of Andy Griffith and Ron Howard as Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son Opie. And while he's there, who should he run into but Thelma Lou herself -- Betty Lynn -- who shares her memories of the show.

Andy Mangels tunes in to Saturday Morning Star Trek, one of the many Filmation projects that made up our childhood and the one that earned Lou Scheimer an Emmy award! (Which Filmation project did Lou think should have won the Emmy instead? See our own retro-interview with Lou here!) Ernest Farino recalls his meeting with Lon Chaney, Jr. putting us in the frame of mind we had when we would go the grocery store with our parents and beg for a copy of Famous Monsters of Filmland. And if you had any interest in The Phantom, Martin Pasko delves into the movie history of this comic strip character, and postulates why it has pretty much failed each and every time it's been tried.

Throw in classic toys like the Mego Elastic Hulk and Mr. Microphone, as well as more classic television, and RETRO FAN casts a wide, appealing net to draw in the forty-and-older crowd.

RETRO FAN is available online through TwoMorrows, where you can get it in physical or PDF flavors.