Pop, the Question is a spirited dialogue about popular culture, powered by the Drexel University Pennoni Honors College. Hosted by Dr. Melinda Lewis, the series engages in conversations with guests about the ways in which popular culture intersects with their academic fields of study and research. Pop, the Question partnered with the Westphal College to feature two faculty members, Screenwriting & Playwriting's Jamar Nicholas and Music Industry's Darren Walters. Pop, the Question episodes can be found through iTunes and Soundcloud.  
 

 

Pop, the Question (Season 1, Episode 5): “All How You Frame It” (Jamar Nicholas)

 

A cartoonist draws inspiration from a spectrum of influences. For graphic novelist and educator Jamar Nicholas, city life, popular comic strips, and reality TV all inform his creations. Host Dr. Melinda Lewis and the artist discuss his graphic novels, social themes at play, and his affinity for The Real Housewives and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

 

 

Pop, the Question (Season 1, Episode 7): "Indie, Eclectic, Undefinable" (Darren Walters)

 

When the music industry emerged from the shadows of AM radio and found itself in the hardcore punk music mosh pit of the late 20th Century, fans followed suit and got involved on their own terms. Music industry professor and Jade Tree Records founder Darren Walters went from listener to active participant, supporting the work of artists on the ground level for the past three decades. Host Dr. Melinda Lewis spins tales with Walters about the evolution of the music industry, the place of an indie label in mainstream culture, and the influence of popular rock bands like Rush and Duran Duran on a thriving counterculture.